Commerce Ministry: Rice bidders can inspect rice quality next week

BANGKOK, 6 June 2015 – Bidders for the third auction of the government’s in-stock rice will be allowed to inspect rice quality next week, says a Commerce Ministry official.

The Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) Director-General Duangporn Rodphaya has revealed that the Ministry of Commerce will hold the third auction of the government’s in-stock rice in mid June, which adds up to 1.65 million tons from 153 warehouses in 35 provinces.

The new auction will follow previous regulations, while bidders can check the rice quality during 8-12 June 2015 before qualification documents are due on 15 June 2015. The list of qualified bidders will be announced on 16 June 2015 and the ministry will start accepting the tender starting on the same day.

The government currently has 16 million tons of rice in stock, categorized as good quality rice at 2.6 million tons, while the rest is classified as mixed quality or below standard rice.

The DFT Director-General has said that the Ministry of Commerce is now discussing with related agencies to find the proper methods to release all the in-stock rice, such as distribution to industries, while some can be used as alternative energy production sources. Some of the remaining rice can no longer be utilized for consumption.

-- NNT 2015-06-06

"The government currently has 16 million tons of rice in stock, categorized as good quality rice at 2.6 million tons, while the rest is classified as mixed quality or below standard rice."

The gift scam that keeps on giving costing !

yep looks pretty good

Even Yingluck likes it with her mushrooms

same fungi content

With the government selling old and no longer buying new rice, soon those warehouses will be empty? We can expect a delegation of warehouse owners asking for a subsidy or so?

They are going to have to try to get as much back for it as possible and as quickly as possible for every month it is stored the costs of storage increase.

I read elsewhere that the annual principal and interest payments on the money borrowed to fund the scheme are 64billion baht. This is a large chunk of the countries annual debt repayment and as long as the rice is held it can only increase.

And the great thinker was reported to have said the scheme was working well and should be continued for another 3 or 4 years.

What would the condition of the stored rice have been in that time and how much the cost to the country ?

Me must not forget that this is all the fault of the present administration for :

BANGKOK, 24 April 2014 Minister Yanyong visited the NACC on Wednesday to submit a letter asserting that inspections of the rice stock in warehouses, carried out in March by Ministry of Commerce officials and members of the rice stock inspection committee, found that the entire 18.7 million tons of rice was intact and another 1.1 million tons was being fumigated.

That's right in March 2014 all 19.8 million tons of rice in storage was intact and in good condition.....Or could Minister Yanyong have lied ? No that's hardly believable no minister of the Yingluck Govt would ever lie.

We also have an added assurance of accuracy for one of the Ministry of Commerce officials was none other than that bastion of responsibility Khun Nattawut Saikua.

Does this mean the quality and quantity of rice in storage is no longer officially a "state secret" as it used to be under the PTP government?

BANGKOK, 6 June 2015 – Bidders for the third auction of the government’s in-stock rice will be allowed to inspect rice quality next week, says a Commerce Ministry official.
And before you enter the warehouses make sure you're well protected ie have full head and body chemical protection apparel with independent air supply. As a final precaution the Commerce Ministry will arrange for each 'inspector/bidder to be hosed down with chemical warfare grade detergent before leaving the premises.

Does this mean the quality and quantity of rice in storage is no longer officially a "state secret" as it used to be under the PTP government?

But I must admit, I can see very clearly, why they wished to keep it secret !

I wonder if it will be like buying a bushel of apples when I was a kid. The ones on top were beautiful. The ones toward the bottom- not so much.