Decade-Old Thai Rice Sale Concerns Amid Contamination Fears

[webfact]

 

Growing apprehensions are emerging over the Thai Commerce Ministry's proposal to sell ten-year-old rice from a previous government scheme.

 

Consumer safety bodies like the Office of the Consumer Protection Board and the Food and Drug Administration are implored to check potential toxin and chemical taints in the grain. 

 

The move comes after Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai publicised his eating of the rice, stored in Surin province warehouses during the Yingluck Shinawatra tenure, aiming to build consumer trust. He plans to auction the rice, expecting to earn between 200 to 400 million baht (US$ 5.4 and 10.8 million). 

 

However, Wirangrong Dabbaransi, Head of the Network of Universities for Reform, voiced her concerns on social media, stating that the minister's tactic doesn't ensure grain quality or safety.

 

She stressed that multiple washing doesn't completely get rid of chemicals or potential toxins. Moreover, the improper storage and brownish colour on cooking the rice indicate possible fungal infection, according to Assoc Prof Pantipa Pongpiachan, a faculty member at Chiang Mai University. 

 

Thai Pakdee Party leader Warong Dechgitvigrom doubted the rice quality and questioned the minister's delay in the fourth bidding round. On the other hand, Phumtham stood firm on selling the rice, maintaining his transparent management of old rice stock.

 

Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin promised a Department of Medical Sciences investigation into the rice's quality within one week.

 

File photo courtesy Facebook สรยุทธ สุทัศนะจินดา

 

-- 2024-05-09

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[dinsdale]

Wait for Yingluck to come back and make her buy the lot.

Edited May 9 by dinsdale

[stoner]

15 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Wait for Yingluck to come back and make her buy the lot.

 

then cook it for the house and senate and have them all eat it first. 

[OneMoreFarang]

What is/was the point of keeping that rice for 10 years in warehouses?

Did anybody think it will improve? Like: here, look, we have vintage rice from 2010

As usual, all this doesn't make any sense. TiT

Edited May 9 by OneMoreFarang

[Artisi]

5 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

What is/was the point of keeping that rice for 10 years in warehouses?

Did anybody think it will improve? Like: here, look, we have vintage rice from 2010

As usual, all this doesn't make any sense. TiT

Maybe they thought (that might be stretching it a bit) it would improve with age like quality whiskey and wine - but then on the other hand  they completely forgot about it. 

[ExpatOilWorker]

[stupidfarang]

no mention of the cost to store the rice for the past 10 years.

 

[Andre0720]

Stored, or abandoned....

Ah the Thai euphemisms.....

[retarius]

Give it as animal feed to livestock farmers.

[NoDisplayName]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

He plans to auction the rice, expecting to earn between 200 to 400 million baht (US$ 5.4 and 10.8 million). 

 

10-year old rice?

Sure, buddy.

Who's going to buy it?

 

http://www.thairiceexporters.or.th/price_eng.html

[newbee2022]

With a taste of bribery and maggots😂

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Wait for Yingluck to come back and make her buy the lot.

And feed it to dear brother..

[Grumpy one]

3 hours ago, Artisi said:

Maybe they thought (that might be stretching it a bit) it would improve with age like quality whiskey and wine - but then on the other hand  they completely forgot about it. 

No doubt the owners of the warehouse were paid rent each month 

[PETERTHEEATER]

Convert it to alcohol and use it to heat the stills which convert the rice mash into alcohol and use the alcohol to...........😋

[MarkBR]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Growing apprehensions are emerging over the Thai Commerce Ministry's proposal to sell ten-year-old rice from a previous government scheme.

 

Consumer safety bodies like the Office of the Consumer Protection Board and the Food and Drug Administration are implored to check potential toxin and chemical taints in the grain. 

 

The move comes after Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai publicised his eating of the rice, stored in Surin province warehouses during the Yingluck Shinawatra tenure, aiming to build consumer trust. He plans to auction the rice, expecting to earn between 200 to 400 million baht (US$ 5.4 and 10.8 million). 

 

However, Wirangrong Dabbaransi, Head of the Network of Universities for Reform, voiced her concerns on social media, stating that the minister's tactic doesn't ensure grain quality or safety.

 

She stressed that multiple washing doesn't completely get rid of chemicals or potential toxins. Moreover, the improper storage and brownish colour on cooking the rice indicate possible fungal infection, according to Assoc Prof Pantipa Pongpiachan, a faculty member at Chiang Mai University. 

 

Thai Pakdee Party leader Warong Dechgitvigrom doubted the rice quality and questioned the minister's delay in the fourth bidding round. On the other hand, Phumtham stood firm on selling the rice, maintaining his transparent management of old rice stock.

 

Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin promised a Department of Medical Sciences investigation into the rice's quality within one week.

 

File photo courtesy Facebook สรยุทธ สุทัศนะจินดา

 

-- 2024-05-09

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Very important to test for aflatotoxins

[digger70]

Decade-Old Thai Rice Sale Concerns Amid Contamination Fears.

 

What is a bit of poison , nothing wrong with that .

Turn the old rice into Lao Khao that is poison so it don't matter and they can make a lot of money from that and funerals from all the poison.

[StayinThailand2much]

Barely usable as landfill...

[snoop1130]

Thai military open to purchasing decade-old rice, pending quality assurance tests

 

 

The Thai military has announced its potential willingness to purchase aged rice from the controversial rice pledging scheme. The decision, however, hinges on the grains passing quality testing for human consumption. These revelations were made today by none other than the Thai Defence Minister, Sutin Klungsang.

 

The decade-old rice is destined for military consumption, in a gesture indicating governmental support and financial generation for Thailand. "The military is happy to support the government by buying the rice, as it would generate income for the country," stated Sutin. The stockpile in question has been embroiled in controversy owing to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai recently claiming that it remains good for consumption following a taste test.

 

Housing around 150,000 sacks of rice that have been fumigated every two months for the past ten years, it took no less than fifteen washes before the supposedly consumable portion was cooked. Despite Phumtham's assurances, public scepticism pertains to the rice's quality after a decade, given its transition in colour from white to yellow and presence of weevils.

 

Sutin, referring to the quality of the aged rice, suggested Phumtham's taste test could be taken as a "guarantee" to a certain degree. Nevertheless, the Thai Defence Minister welcomed further testing, saying "but if we want to have more assurance, it would be okay to conduct more tests on the quality." Historically, the Thai military has stepped in to purchase crops during market downturns.

 

Photo courtesy of Thai PBS

 

-- 2024-05-09

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[snoop1130]

Commerce Minister's 'Rice Stunt' Provokes Backlash, Sparks Fears for Thai Export Market

 

 

In a controversial move, Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai recently sampled decade-old rice in front of reporters, reigniting the debate around the maligned Rice Pledging Scheme from the Yingluck Shinawatra administration. In response, Dr Warong Dechgitvigrom, the original whistle-blower in the scandal and chairman of the Thai Pakdee party, warned the Minister against making further attempts to revise the scandal's narrative.

 

Phumtham's visit to a Surin province warehouse involved the display of reportedly edible rice from reserves of over 100,000 sacks, leftovers from the Rice Pledging Scheme implemented ten years ago. The minister, alongside his accompanying officials and the gathered press, sampled the cooked rice as an apparent demonstration of its continued safety and edibility, despite overstated allegations of biofuel-grade quality by the scheme's critics.

 

This public culinary exercise has been labelled a political manoeuvre by sceptics, who view it as an attempt to downplay the gravity of accusations surrounding the controversial rice scheme. Phumtham also disclosed intentions of selling approximately 15,000 tonnes of what he called 'old rice' to certain African countries, a move expected to raise approximately 200 million baht.

 

Reacting to this news, Dr Warong called out the government's previous failed attempts at auctioning the surplus rice. Drawing from his own expertise and information from rice specialists, Dr Warong highlighted potential hazards of consuming such rice, including the presence of toxins given the grains' age. Subsequently, Warong expressed worries around potential damage to Thailand's rice export market reputation resulting from the sale of these older stocks.

 

Reawakening latent furore around the decade-old scandal with this stunt could bear unintended consequences with possible additional exposures, warned Warong. Echoing these sentiments, Ramet Rattanachaweng, representative of the Democrat party, advised the government to proceed cautiously. Endeavours to 'whitewash' the Rice Pledging Scheme by selling the old rice without expert verification may do more harm than good, he said, risking Thai rice's reputation on the international stage.

 

Rattanachaweng urged governmental officials to consult rice professionals for quality and safety checks prior to any attempts at selling the residual stocks, warning that failure to do so could irreparably damage all Thai rice exports.

 

Photo courtesy of Thai PBS

 

-- 2024-05-09

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[kickstart]

4 hours ago, digger70 said:

Decade-Old Thai Rice Sale Concerns Amid Contamination Fears.

 

What is a bit of poison , nothing wrong with that .

Turn the old rice into Lao Khao that is poison so it don't matter and they can make a lot of money from that and funerals from all the poison.

Something I learned not so long ago, Lao Khao is made from Pineapples.

[Muhendis]

Hom Mali (jasmine) rice at 1 year old is good.

At 2 years it is a bit dodgy,

At 10 years it is dead and fit only for chickens.

 

The army is absolutely right to demand quality control.

[cowellandrew]

Yum yum!

Out of interest what's the sell buy date?

😂

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Housing around 150,000 sacks of rice that have been fumigated every two months for the past ten years

If this passes tests then the FDA should be disbanded.

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Phumtham also disclosed intentions of selling approximately 15,000 tonnes of what he called 'old rice' to certain African countries, a move expected to raise approximately 200 million baht.

Thailand has no morals, just a love of money

[newbee2022]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai military open to purchasing decade-old rice, pending quality assurance tests

 

 

The Thai military has announced its potential willingness to purchase aged rice from the controversial rice pledging scheme. The decision, however, hinges on the grains passing quality testing for human consumption. These revelations were made today by none other than the Thai Defence Minister, Sutin Klungsang.

 

The decade-old rice is destined for military consumption, in a gesture indicating governmental support and financial generation for Thailand. "The military is happy to support the government by buying the rice, as it would generate income for the country," stated Sutin. The stockpile in question has been embroiled in controversy owing to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai recently claiming that it remains good for consumption following a taste test.

 

Housing around 150,000 sacks of rice that have been fumigated every two months for the past ten years, it took no less than fifteen washes before the supposedly consumable portion was cooked. Despite Phumtham's assurances, public scepticism pertains to the rice's quality after a decade, given its transition in colour from white to yellow and presence of weevils.

 

Sutin, referring to the quality of the aged rice, suggested Phumtham's taste test could be taken as a "guarantee" to a certain degree. Nevertheless, the Thai Defence Minister welcomed further testing, saying "but if we want to have more assurance, it would be okay to conduct more tests on the quality." Historically, the Thai military has stepped in to purchase crops during market downturns.

 

Photo courtesy of Thai PBS

 

-- 2024-05-09

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

With a taste of bribery and maggots😂

[bamnutsak]

What is the impetus for the current government to deal with this ~ 10-year-old problem now?

 

Why not just quietly destroy this old rice? 

 

I honestly can't figure out why they are embarrassing themselves with all these idiotic ideas and performances.

 

I can only assume the dear leader wants this gone so his sister doesn't have this criminal, abject failure hanging over her head.

 

 

 

 

[Elkski]

Biofuel or feed stock.  

[bamnutsak]

1 minute ago, Elkski said:

Biofuel or feed stock.  

 

Among the dozen or so "options" mentioned during this debacle...

 

Lao Khao  (from Chateau Jake Leg)

 

Vinegar

 

 

I'm surprised the Ministry of Education hasn't trundled along to buy this for school lunches. 

 

 

 

 

[Ben Zioner]

On 5/9/2024 at 8:49 AM, webfact said:

 

 

I love this marvellous picture of Thai politics with all the expectant underlings waiting for the boss to drop dead.

[1duckyboy]

If the ten year old rice can be sold, the earnings may ameliorate some of Yingluck's crimes, paving the way for her return.

Edited May 10 by 1duckyboy