Thailand upgrades quality of Hom Mali rice

[Lite Beer]

Thailand upgrades quality of Hom Mali rice
By Digital Content

BANGKOK, April 19 – The Commerce Ministry has announced a new classification of Thai fragrant rice to tap high-end market abroad.

Surasak Riangkrul, director general of the Foreign Trade Department, said high-quality Thai fragrant rice, widely known as Hom Mali, will from now on comprise two categories: Premium Quality Thai Hom Mali Rice with at least 98 per cent of fragrant rice, and Thai Hom Mali Rice with at least 92 per cent of fragrant rice.

Thailand formerly has only one kind of Hom Mali rice while the new classification, effective as of February, will be promoted worldwide, he said.

Besides Hom Mali, Thai rice consists of white rice and brown rice.

There are eight kinds of white rice – 100% Grade 1, 100% Grade 2, 100% Grade 3, 5%, 10%, 15%, premium A-1 broken rice and A-1 broken rice.

Brown rice is divided into six kinds – 100% Grade 1, 100% Grade 2, 100% Grade 3, 5%, 10% and 15%.

Mr Surasak said exporters are required to clearly state the category of rice, especially Prime Quality Thai Hom Mali Rice and Thai Hom Mali Rice, to ensure the quality and standards of Thai agricultural produce.

He said the new classification of Thai Hom Mali rice was to upgrade the standards of Thai fragrant rice in overseas market, especially in Hong Kong and China where consumers are willing to pay higher price for premium goods.

He said Thailand exported 2.3 million tonnes of rice, at a value of over US$1.1-1.2 billion, since early this year. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-04-19

[tim armstrong]

I may just be a touch skeptical, but this would be a good way to move some less than top quality rice. Its just too coincidental to do this when they have a rice mountain.

[issanaus]

I may just be a touch skeptical, but this would be a good way to move some less than top quality rice. Its just too coincidental to do this when they have a rice mountain.

Or maybe just to be "seen" as doing something the help the industry that they have nearly destroyed

[JoeThePoster]

How much percent of weevils?

[Thaiisnotrequired]

How much percent of weevils?

Aye. We all know what the premium 'brown' rice now comprises.

[Costas2008]

I may just be a touch skeptical, but this would be a good way to move some less than top quality rice. Its just too coincidental to do this when they have a rice mountain.

Or maybe just to be "seen" as doing something the help the industry that they have nearly destroyed

You are implying, that this government has done something wrong?

[bigbamboo]

Great news about Thailand exporting over two million tonnes of rice already this year. Now they should have plenty of money in the kitty to pay the farmers.

That's always assuming they're telling the truth of course.

[JesseFrank]

It will be called "Jasmine premium mold" I guess

[Thai at Heart]

Will they pay the farmers accordingly? If a farmer produces 100% excellent quality hom Mali, will he get a premium?

[Costas2008]

Great news about Thailand exporting over two million tonnes of rice already this year. Now they should have plenty of money in the kitty to pay the farmers.

That's always assuming they're telling the truth of course.

They always tell the truth

Just a little matter for 90 billion baht still owed to the farmers.

[jalansanitwong]

I wonder if the farmers understand all this technical jargon and rice grading.

I doubt it.

[GuestHouse]

The way to improve the quality is to open the market and allow anyone to buy directly at the farm gate - farmers then have a choice, produce cheap or produce quality.

The way not to improve quality is to prove a single guaranteed price for a product.

[Thai at Heart]

I wonder if the farmers understand all this technical jargon and rice grading.

I doubt it.

Well that's a bit insulting isn't it. What they do know very well is that that they get shafted on moisture and quality, but that they have few options.

[Ricardo]

Why can't Thai Hom Mali rice just be 100% Thai-grown Hom Mali, no adulteration or other grain added, and purely from Thailand ?

Or would that risk losing Cambodia's 'eternal friendship', or ruin the previous good reputation, in some way ?

[Thai at Heart]

Why can't Thai Hom Mali rice just be 100% Thai-grown Hom Mali, no adulteration or other grain added, and purely from Thailand ?

Or would that risk losing Cambodia's 'eternal friendship', or ruin the previous good reputation, in some way ?

Precisely. The areas for true hom Mali are separate. Why is 2%,tolerated.

[Goat Roper]

Anyone her familiar with the very old Thai tale of 'Seetanong-Chai'? The government's statements parallels this story.

[issanaus]

Are they talking about grain type of % non broken rice ???

[Thaiisnotrequired]

Are they talking about grain type of % non broken rice ???

I wanna know who gets paid for breaking percentages of rice. Or is this another child labour advantage pi**take nobody's ware of?

sorry..

[marko kok prong]

I still think Basmati is the best rice in the world,is it too hot to grow it here,or what?

[bulekee]

How much percent of weevils?

how mut yoo wan,I geve yoo flee.

[allan michaud]

The word's "clutching" and "straws" spring to mind.

[finnomick]

I can just see the rice merchants ( read rice barons ) having a good sniff at next year's harvest. Nah, that's only 92% fragrance, doesn't smell like 98%. Oh, and by the way, your rice has a high percentage of breakage so we're going to give you sweet F A., take it or leave it. So, after you've emptied your sacks of rice, some gadger comes along in a huge loading shovel driving over all the rice -- told you, velly velly broken. Amazing Thailand.....

[Sandman77]

When I check the prices on eBay uk

Hom malee is even cheaper or around same price then in regular Thai market !

So in Europe also this wine I can buy on eBay Germany for same price then here in Thailand !

I planed also to sale home Mali

Directly from the farm online , but eBay reseller prices high postage coasts and sale fees are so high, that this project Is a non profit project !

For big company's the price for export wil be pressured down, only the local dealer can win in a overpriced market in real life!

[Robby nz]

This is of course not an actual upgrade of quality, the rice stays the same only the name is changed...................................to protect the guilty.

Cambodian rice is still judged to be the best in the world for the second year in a row.

Whether any Thai rice was entered I the annual competition is another thing.

It may have been considered not worth entering as Thai rice is obviously the best so why bother.

[Thai at Heart]

This is of course not an actual upgrade of quality, the rice stays the same only the name is changed...................................to protect the guilty.

Cambodian rice is still judged to be the best in the world for the second year in a row.

Whether any Thai rice was entered I the annual competition is another thing.

It may have been considered not worth entering as Thai rice is obviously the best so why bother.

They changed the grading. They didn't upgrade anything.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

What the heck is the actual difference supposed to be between 100% Grades 1, 2 and 3??

And no, I'm not looking for any snarky, weevil responses...

[surangw]

it that the aroma of mold?

[Zendo]

I still think Basmati is the best rice in the world,is it too hot to grow it here,or what?

It might be more complicated than you think to grow basmati rice here, and Hom Mali Rice is the traditionnal top strain of thailand, produced no where else , like basmati is produced only in india and pakistan.

But I do agree, top notch basmati is the Best ! Recently my mother in law fall in love with basmati, never tried before and that was a shock for her. She eats sticky rice every day, that they produce, and she's not crazy about hom mali at all but basmati was a real gourmet discovery !

[holajeff]

Over a billion US dollars of rice sold this year ? sounds like a lucrative business . . . . and why haven't farmers been paid for their crops ? and being so lucrative . . . . . why are rice growers so poor ? . . . . . strange world we live in.

[Thai at Heart]

I still think Basmati is the best rice in the world,is it too hot to grow it here,or what?

It might be more complicated than you think to grow basmati rice here, and Hom Mali Rice is the traditionnal top strain of thailand, produced no where else , like basmati is produced only in india and pakistan.

But I do agree, top notch basmati is the Best ! Recently my mother in law fall in love with basmati, never tried before and that was a shock for her. She eats sticky rice every day, that they produce, and she's not crazy about hom mali at all but basmati was a real gourmet discovery !

Hom Mali as far as I know is actually quite a recent phenomenon. It was produced after a lot of R&d in the 70s