Speaking at a news conference yesterday marking the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's World Food Day, Wallop Pitchyapongsa, managing director of Capital Rice, one the country's biggest rice exporters, called on the government to learn a lesson from the United States.

"Thailand's strength is rice that is not genetically modified. Last month many buyers switched to importing Thai rice after they discovered US rice crops were tainted with genetically modified organisms [GMOs].

"We are now sharing rice markets previously dominated by the US. And if the US contamination scandal isn't solved, Thailand could permanently occupy this market share," he said.

Since the US GMO-rice scandal erupted there has been an upsurge in Thai rice exports, with importers in Europe and the Middle East rejecting US exports.

Although he provided no figures, Wallop insisted there were signs orders of long-grain rice from European countries were increasing after importers suspected US rice might be genetically modified.

This development could allow Thailand to assume the US position as a major exporter of long-grain rice into the EU, he said.

He warned there had been a trend in Thailand in the past few years towards planting GMOs in the belief they could boost harvests.

During the Thaksin administration, he said, the Agriculture Ministry had sought to lift bans on field trials of GMOs - something vehemently opposed by food exporters and environmentalists.

"The popular rice varieties - such as Jasmine rice, for which Thailand is famous - would be the first to suffer should the country undertake GM rice trials. The inevitable contamination would destroy the competitive advantage Thai rice now enjoys," said rice exporter Tanakorn Jitratangbunya of the Chia Meng Group, one of the country's largest agriculture companies.

"Genetic engineering is clearly the wrong strategy for Thailand's agricultural future. It undermines sustainable agriculture, destroys food security and puts farmers at the mercy of GMO companies," added Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigner Patwajee Srisuwan.