BusinessDay: 10-Year-Old Thai Rice could be Exported to Nigeria, Africa

[snoop1130]

 

A growing worry is brewing in Nigeria, Africa's most heavily populated nation, about the likelihood of decade-old Thai rice being sold in African markets. This stems from the Thai government's announcement that they plan to sell this rice, according to Nigeria's BusinessDay.

 

Thailand plans to auction off 150,000 bags of rice, which have been stored for 10 years. The country hopes to make between 200 and 400 million baht ($5.4 to $10.8 million) from this sale. However, this decision has garnered significant criticism from Thai citizens and food safety specialists.

 

In response to this news, Nigerians have started to express their fears on social media about the potential health risks that could come if the rice ends up in Africa, especially in Nigeria where food safety and regulatory checks aren't always reliable.

 

The Thai Rice Exporter Association has noted a growing demand for Thai rice in African countries. In the 2023-2024 season, Thailand was the world's second-largest rice exporter, with 8.2 million metric tons sold, according to Statista data. Among the top African buyers of Thai rice in 2023 were South Africa, Senegal, Cameroon, Mozambique, and Côte d’Ivoire, importing a combined total of 2.48 million tons. Zimbabwe, Algeria, Angola, Benin, and Togo also imported significant amounts.

 

While Nigeria isn't officially on this import list due to the Central Bank of Nigeria's foreign exchange restriction for rice importers, many assume that rice brought into Benin and Togo likely end up in Nigerian markets through smuggling.

 

James Marsh, a food safety expert and executive director of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), warned that rice stored for 10 years will have lost all its nutrients. He also cautioned that the rice might be chemically contaminated based on preservation methods used while stored.

 

Prof. Shittu Akinyemi, a food science teacher at the Federal University of Agriculture, added that the safety of food like rice is determined by how it is handled and the chemicals used in its preservation. He mentioned that while grains can be stored for a long time, they adversely age, reducing their quality. Both experts called on the Nigerian government to ensure this potentially harmful rice is kept out of the country.

 

File photo for reference only. Courtesy of Google

 

-- 2024-05-16

 

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[richard_smith237]

The corrupt of one nation selling to those even more corrupt of another nation...  

 

Someones getting rich...   Classy.

[Yorkshire Tea]

And then. they never buy rice from Thailand again 😉

 

[fondue zoo]

Someone eat that rice so Yingluck can come home.

[scottiejohn]

Has the rice been declared safe to eat by an authorised/respected body?

If yes, what is the problem?

[transam]

3 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Has the rice been declared safe to eat by an authorised/respected body?

If yes, what is the problem?

Yep, the bags had a couple of kicks..........

[NoDisplayName]

I'm waiting for the email from Mrs. Carbuncle Barbootie, Esquire,  whose uncle was the CEO of the United Nations Rice Hub Directorate, until he was forced to abandon 150,000 bags of Thai rice which is now being held for ransom, but if I send US$5000 American dollars............

[scottiejohn]

6 minutes ago, transam said:

Yep, the bags had a couple of kicks..........

Or did you mean kickbacks?

😆

[HappyExpat57]

I have the email of a Nigerian prince who has $450,000,000 he's trying to transfer. We should get these geniuses together.

[scottiejohn]

12 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

I'm waiting for the email from Mrs. Carbuncle Barbootie, Esquire,  whose uncle was the CEO of the United Nations Rice Hub Directorate, until he was forced to abandon 150,000 bags of Thai rice which is now being held for ransom, but if I send US$5000 American dollars............

That is a fake e-mail.  The real one is from Princess Megan Windsor of shanty town Nigeria!

Send her all your money as she really needs it!

[stoner]

6 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

I have the email of a Nigerian prince who has $450,000,000 he's trying to transfer. We should get these geniuses together.

 

send me 1 btc and i will send back 10.

[dinsdale]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

James Marsh, a food safety expert and executive director of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), warned that rice stored for 10 years will have lost all its nutrients. He also cautioned that the rice might be chemically contaminated based on preservation methods used while stored.

Well I reckon this is an "expert" I'll believe. Of course we've seen a lot of "expert opinions" in the last few years that support profits for companies with all other "expert opinions" being wrong (aka conspiracies) so I guess James Marsh's expert opinion will be disregarded by the Thai government after all they have their own "experts."