Thai rice purity at risk due to popularity of foreign strains

[webfact]

Thai rice finds itself in a perilous position as the purity of its strains is at risk due to the rising popularity of foreign rice strains smuggled from neighbouring countries, warns the nation’s agriculture minister, Thammanat Prompow.

 

Speaking at the annual Thai rice conference organised by the Thai Rice Foundation Under Royal Patronage, Thammanat expressed his worries about the future of Thai rice. Despite producing vast revenues, Thai farmers are still ensnared in poverty and debt.

 

Thammanat highlighted that Thailand exports approximately eight million tonnes of rice a year, generating approximately 140 billion baht (US$ 3,989,571,600). Nevertheless, the high cost of investment, including rising prices of fertilisers, pesticides, and labour, plunges about 4.68 million farming families into enormous financial difficulties.

 

To combat this, many farmers have resorted to cultivating foreign rice strains in pursuit of higher yields, thereby endangering the purity of native strains. Known for its soft texture, elongated grains, and aromatic fragrance, Thai rice now stands at risk as alien strains are often mixed with high-quality Thai rice. This, Thammanat describes, as a vicious circle that will destroy Thai rice.

 

Thammanat stated, “The ministry will try to ensure Thai rice continues to exist and is planted by farmers. Further investment in the development of domestic rice strains is key so we have better strains of Thai rice in the future, with a high yield and strong resistance to disease and climate change.”

 

by Mitch Connor

Picture courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-14

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[stoner]

member gamma asked about irony on AN the other day.......

 

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

smuggled from neighbouring countries, warns the nation’s agriculture minister, Thammanat Prompow.

 

not sure the man should be lecturing anyone on smuggling. the defense rests your honor. 

[daveAustin]

Ooh, can’t have those alien rices! Thais don’t do aliens well of any kind. Maybe they’ll mix it with some Cambodian and make it even better. 😜

[FruitPudding]

What's special about Thai rice anyway?

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai rice finds itself in a perilous position as the purity of its strains is at risk due to the rising popularity of foreign rice strains smuggled from neighbouring countries, warns the nation’s agriculture minister, Thammanat Prompow.

He knows all about smuggling, so I believe him.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Speaking at the annual Thai rice conference organised by the Thai Rice Foundation Under Royal Patronage, Thammanat expressed his worries about the future of Thai rice. Despite producing vast revenues, Thai farmers are still ensnared in poverty and debt.

Because the millers and middle men take all the profits..

[Muhendis]

17 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Because the millers and middle men take all the profits..

Yes that's partly true

Farmer sells his paddy rice to the mill for 13B/Kg

This is equivalent to 21.6B after milled.

Mill packages and sends rice to export co.

Export co. repackages into supermarket bags 

Asda in the UK sells for 154B/kg

 

Asda makes something like 5% on food so Asda probably pays 146B/kg

Packaging and shipping costs could be in the order of 20B/kg

 

So 126B/kg is split between mill, middle men and export company

 

The farmer could easily be paid a higher price for his rice and the mill, middle men and export company would still be wealthy

[StayinThailand2much]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

To combat this, many farmers have resorted to cultivating foreign rice strains in pursuit of higher yields, thereby endangering the purity of native strains.

 

So, what's the problem? Higher yields, more income for the farmers, who can pay back their enormous debts quicker...

 

Ah, I see, Thailand 'losing face' because their own is inferior to the falang rice. - Who cares?

[soalbundy]

5 hours ago, FruitPudding said:

What's special about Thai rice anyway?

Heresy, do I detect a viper in our midst? The purity of Thai rice is akin to the holy Thai blood strain apparently.

[billd766]

10 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

 

So, what's the problem? Higher yields, more income for the farmers, who can pay back their enormous debts quicker...

 

Ah, I see, Thailand 'losing face' because their own is inferior to the falang rice. - Who cares?

A very few, very vociferous people who are slowly but surely destroying Thailand for their own benefit. Who have more than they or their families could reasonably spend in 50 lifetimes, yet still that is not enough for them.

[Scott Tracy]

Local rice farmers.... Plant Thai rice, lose money. 

 

rent land, buy seed, plant seedlings, weed killer, plant food, harvesting, drying in the streets. Mill and eat, or sell as is? Well to pay for all the debts... Crap rice at the best of times. Hardly any sale value. This is Thai rice. Give me Basmati any day.

[Srikcir]

18 hours ago, FruitPudding said:

What's special about Thai rice anyway?

Good question. Jasmine used to be a world favorite.

https://link.gov.vn/Sr04VXua

• Vietnam's Ong Cua ST25 rice has won the first prize at the World's Best Rice 2023 competition, within the framework of the 2023 International World Rice Conference Summit in Cebu, Philippines.
• This is the second time Vietnam has won the contest’s top award. Previously, the Ong Cua ST25 rice won the World’s Best Rice Contest in the Philippines in 2019 and took the second place at the World’s Best Rice Contest 2020 held in the US.

[Randell]

In the north CR. Province. Getting 13 for paddy is very rare be !ucky to get 10 and  more often than not ,less. So just a mad circle of debt and desperately try to keep the family farm.