Thai farmers warned against smuggling uncertified Vietnamese rice strains

[webfact]

 

Thailand‘s Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Captain Thamanat Prompow, cautioned local farmers against cultivating or smuggling uncertified Vietnamese rice strains.

The warning, issued yesterday, December 8, comes in light of potential complaints from Vietnam, which could negatively impact Thailand’s reputation and bilateral relations.

 

Despite the higher yield per area of Vietnamese rice strains providing increased income for farmers, the minister emphasised the Department of Rice’s inability to certify smuggled rice strains from neighbouring countries. To address this, Capt. Thamanat has directed the Department of Rice to investigate and develop higher-yielding, superior quality domestic rice strains for the upcoming planting season.

Earlier this week, global rice trading firm, The Rice Trader (TRT) announced that Vietnam’s Ong Cua ST25 rice had secured the first prize in the World’s Best Rice 2023 contest at the World Rice Conference in Cebu, Philippines. The competition, which took place from November 28 to 30, saw around 30 rice varieties from various countries participating. The runners-up were rice varieties from Cambodia and India.

 

by Mitch Connor

Photo courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-09

 

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[2baht]

Three years incarcerated for "flour" handelling has obviously given him time to consider the implications! 

[Huckenfell]

Are you telling us that he has served time for corruption ?

[2baht]

1 hour ago, Huckenfell said:

Are you telling us that he has served time for corruption ?

Do some research!

[Mr Meeseeks]

He is an expert on smuggling illegal goods right enough!

[Mr Meeseeks]

Interesting that Vietnamese, Cambodian and Indian rice is now considered better than Thai rice. 

 

At one time, not so long ago, there was no competition. 

[worgeordie]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

investigate and develop higher-yielding, superior quality domestic rice strains for the upcoming planting season

I think it will take longer than that ,looks like the Vietnamese have been developing their

rice to get higher yields

 

regards Worgeordie 

[Peabody]

Thais have given up on the rice competition. If we cannot win, we will no longer play, and then the world can't see what LOSERS we are. As usual, sat on their laurels until they became FAILURES.

No way they can develop new, fast-grow strains and get them out to farmers before the next planting season. 

"...the Department of Rice’s inability to certify walk and chew gum...". Why not? WTF do these clowns do? 2 years ago, the latest data I could find, showed a budget of 89 BILLION BAHT!!

From a local source, announcing that MFP were launching an investigation into Rice Dept:

"However, on May 9, the department increased its requested budget for the fair in Bangkok to 5 million baht, saying it would extend the event to three days instead of two, Karoonpon said.

“The details in the new budget request were also suspicious,” he said. The department raised the cost of organising the exhibition from 400,000 to 1 million baht, and increased the award for rice farmers who had demonstrated extraordinary performances from 100,000 to 500,000 baht, he explained.

The complaint also asked Move Forward to investigate the transparency of the selection of event organisers, saying the department had not used the standard e-bidding procedure.

Instead, it used a method that took prices submitted by selected contractors.

However, only one contractor submitted bids, Karoonpon said.

“Based on the selection documents, four organisers were invited to submit bids, but only one actually submitted [them] and won the contract in all three locations. This company has a long record of working with the Rice Department,” Karoonpon explained.

“Furthermore, the contract was signed on May 29, suspiciously close to the date of the first event, on June 5, despite the department having months to plan for it,” he added."

 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thamanat has directed the Department of Rice to investigate and develop higher-yielding, superior quality domestic rice strains for the upcoming planting season.

What a novel idea.

[Bobthegimp]

2 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Interesting that Vietnamese, Cambodian and Indian rice is now considered better than Thai rice. 

 

At one time, not so long ago, there was no competition. 

 

Is the final product superior?

 

  It appears that the plants have higher yields, but they may also be more susceptible to diseases and require greater quantities of nitrogen to maintain those yields.  Fertilizer has become very expensive over the last few years, so that's also a factor. 

 

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 minute ago, Bobthegimp said:

Is the final product superior?

 

Apparently.

 

"The Rice Trader (TRT) announced that Vietnam’s Ong Cua ST25 rice had secured the first prize in the World’s Best Rice 2023 contest at the World Rice Conference in Cebu, Philippines. The competition, which took place from November 28 to 30, saw around 30 rice varieties from various countries participating. The runners-up were rice varieties from Cambodia and India."

[tandor]

8 hours ago, 2baht said:

Three years incarcerated for "flour" handelling has obviously given him time to consider the implications! 

from one convicted smuggler to those who have not yet been convicted...is he trying to send them a message!

[tandor]

6 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

He is an expert on smuggling illegal goods right enough!

it was he who suggested them other dudes put large diagonal blue crosses on their stuff...555

[mikebell]

Why do Thai farmers need to smuggle the better yielding rice strains?  Can't they just buy them?

[Scouse123]

23 hours ago, Bobthegimp said:

 

Is the final product superior?

 

  It appears that the plants have higher yields, but they may also be more susceptible to diseases and require greater quantities of nitrogen to maintain those yields.  Fertilizer has become very expensive over the last few years, so that's also a factor. 

 

 

 

 

Well, it must be if Vietnam has just won first place in the World's Best Rice Contest 2023 in Cebu, Philippines.