Malaysia’s state procurement body, Bernas, has bought 200,000 tonnes of Thai rice via private deals from Thai exporters for prompt shipment, exporters said today.

The rice was fresh grains from the current 2014 off-season crop, which was harvested during July/August and kept in private exporters’ warehouses. It was not from the government stocks.

Thailand grows rice throughout the year. Its off-season crop, or third-smallest crop, is grown mostly in well irrigated areas in the central part of country and produces around 2-3 million tonnes a year.

Bernas is also in talks to buy another 200,000 tonnes of rice from Thai government stocks on a government-to-government deal, traders said.

“Bernas’s representatives are due to be in Bangkok over the next few weeks to talk about further details to buy Thai rice via governmental channels,” said a senior Thai government official who asked not to be named as he was no authorised to talk to the media.

Malaysia is one of Thailand’s traditional buyers of rice, importing around 100,000-300,000 tonnes each year.

Malaysian purchases dropped substantially to 60,000-155,000 tonnes over the past few years, when a controversial Thai rice-buying scheme push Thai prices to uncompetitive high rates and encouraged Malaysia to switch to buy from Vietnam.

- Reuters