Thailand plans to increase its rice exports this year by about one million tons to 8.5 million tons, the Ministry of Commerce said Friday at a mega gathering of global rice producers and traders in Bangkok.

The value of rice exports should reach 2.6 billion U.S. dollars, the ministry said during the Thailand Rice Convention 2007. Thailand has been the world's biggest rice exporter since 1979.

A rise in exports to China, the biggest buyer of Thai rice, will partly contribute to the growth.

Exports of Thai Hom Mali rice, the highest grade product of all Thai rice, to China posted a 22-percent year-on-year increase in the first three months, the latest figure available.

"We didn't set a growth target country-by-country, but I'm very confident that exports to China will continue to grow," Apiradi Tantraporn, director-general of the Department of Foreign Trade under the ministry, said during a press conference yesterday.

China bought 653,000 tons of Thai rice in 2006, a 33-percent jump over the previous year.

Apiradi said the government will boost sales of Thai rice in China by enhancing quality check.

"The best way to boost the sales of Thai rice in China is to ensure its quality," she said. "We will make sure every batch of exports reaches 100 percent of our standard."

The Thai government will conduct DNA tests on Hom Mali rice to verify its breed if necessary, and it will also take legal action to combat fraud when unscrupulous traders mix other lower-grade Thai rice with the Hom Mali rice for sale to China.

"We have registered a trademark in China. If we see any sellers cheating customers regarding the grade of the rice, we may sue them," Apiradi said.

Rice exports are an important source of revenue for Thailand. Rice farmers account for 60 percent of Thailand's agricultural workforce, and the majority of the country's farm lands are used to grow rice.

Thailand is also seeking cooperation with rice exporting competitors.

Sumet Tantivejkul, chairman of the Thai Rice Foundation, said he has recently visited Laos and Vietnam to seek if the three big rice exporters could work together to avoid competition.

"People with rice culture should work together instead of competing," Sumet said. "Competition is very dangerous. Natural resources wasted in competition are great."

Thailand's rice growing season began on Thursday with a traditional royal plowing ceremony in front of the Grand Palace in Bangkok.