Sale of rotten Thai rice to go ahead on December 1 despite protest

[webfact]

Sale of rotten rice to go ahead on December 1 despite protest
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE Commerce Ministry will open bidding for 37,412 tonnes of rotten rice on December 1, despite opposition from rice quality surveyors who called for the suspension of the auction as they believe the rice could be sold for human consumption rather than for the industrial sector.

Representatives of the Thai Agricultural Surveyors Association marched to the ministry yesterday to express their concerns that the government would sell this rice too cheaply. The rice surveyors said some of it was of high enough quality to be sold for human consumption, but the government has insisted that most was not fit for consumption.

Duangporn Rodphaya, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said the government would proceed with the auction as rice from the stockpile had been checked by the military's ruling National Council for Peace and Order, the government rice inspection committee and private enterprises.

"It has been proved that this rice stock is not suitable for consumption.

"Some rice may be in good condition but it has mixed with rotten rice, and the government would need to spend more [time] managing this rice stock if it does not release it for industrial use. Thus the government will go ahead and open this lot of rice for industrial supply," Duangporn said.

She added that rice surveyor companies had also taken part in the rice inspection. If they wanted to oppose the auction, they should have done so earlier.

Duangporn added that those rice surveyor companies would face legal action by the government as they were contributed to poor oversight of the rice stocks that caused the rotting.

However, Montatip Vaiyawanna, president of the Thai Agricultural Surveyors Association, said rice surveyors had not taken part in the government's rice inspection. She insisted that some of the rice from this lot could be sold for human consumption or feedmeal production, bringing in more money for the government.

More than 170 industrial enterprises attended a session yesterday explaining the regulations and conditions for joining the bid on December 1.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Sale-of-rotten-rice-to-go-ahead-on-December-1-desp-30273594.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-24

[Misterwhisper]

37,412 tonnes! That's going to be a helluva lot of lao khao.

[PatOngo]

Rotters!

[NongKhaiKid]

Rotten rice ?

But it's THAI rotten rice which assures quality

[Somtamnication]

Beggars belief.

[ezzra]

Astonishingly, there's a country that declare to the world that they're selling a rotten rice, would any other

food supplier get away with doing the same? and where in the world's health organizations to protests

such despicable sale? Dirty rotten scoundrels...

[Bluespunk]

"However, Montatip Vaiyawanna, president of the Thai Agricultural Surveyors Association, said rice surveyors had not taken part in the government's rice inspection. She insisted that some of the rice from this lot could be sold for human consumption or feedmeal production, bringing in more money for the government."

If they didn't take part in the inspection, how do they know it's fit for consumption?

If they did take part why, as the govt rep said, didn't they say something at the time?

Edited November 24, 2015 by Bluespunk

[Emster23]

Coming soon to a food stall near you. Need to put some spin on the marketing.... along the lines of fine aged wine or whiskey.

[harada]

37,412 tonnes! That's going to be a helluva lot of lao khao.

Bring it on.

[JeremyBowskill]

Use it in prisons, case closed and moving on.

[Ricardo]

Astonishingly, there's a country that declare to the world that they're selling a rotten rice, would any other

food supplier get away with doing the same? and where in the world's health organizations to protests

such despicable sale? Dirty rotten scoundrels...

Not sure that I'd agree, according to the OP they're intending to sell it to the Thai industrial sector as raw materials, not export it as food.

Hopefully someone will ensure that this actually happens, given the potential for further damage to the reputation overseas of Thai rice, on top of what's already been seen.

IIRC Iran & West Africa had been less-than-happy with what they received. One might therefore wonder how much of the long-life warehoused rice, which has been exported in recent years as being of food-quality, was in fact rotten or sub-standard ?

And the millions of tons of rice supposedly-sold to China, but which never left the country (according to news-reports & court-cases), was that all top-notch quality ? Coming soon to a supermarket near you ?

[worgeordie]

Mix it with Rubber,which is also overstocked,and fill pot

holes in the roads,3 problems solved at once

regards Worgeordie

[Srikcir]

"However, Montatip Vaiyawanna, president of the Thai Agricultural Surveyors Association, said rice surveyors had not taken part in the government's rice inspection. She insisted that some of the rice from this lot could be sold for human consumption or feedmeal production, bringing in more money for the government."

If they didn't take part in the inspection, how do they know it's fit for consumption?

If they did take part why, as the govt rep said, didn't they say something at the time?

Perhaps FEAR such notice that any of the pledged rice was fit for human consumption runs counter to Prayut's claim that 90% was spoiled. The original survey done for Prayut's Rice Policy Committee found that only 10% of pledged rice stocks had spoiled or had missing bags. The Nation July 29, 2014

Maybe that fear has waned after 18 months of the Prayut regime.

[LivinLOS]

Sure sounds like the current lot are not trying to maximize returns at all, so they can simply blame the PT for the higher costs (much like they forced financiers to refuse lending, or scared off foreign bids for it at the time). Create a problem to then lay blame.. Not like they didnt do exactly that with the protests.

[Seastallion]

If you have a fresh loaf of bread, and a stale loaf, do you eat the stale loaf first and let the fresh one go stale, or do you eat the fresh one and make bread pudding with the stale one?

Nonetheless, readers of the OP should realise that the story is of two different opinions. We don't know if the rice is rotten or if some of it is OK.

It seems like a reasonable opinion to save as much of the so-called "rotten" rice if they can get a better price for it. Of course nobody will buy rice if it's rotten, but if it's not, why not get the best price for it?

[HenryB]

The market place will decided the price.

[cooked]

This is why we always take a rice cooker with us when we go on holidays.

[wabothai]

what can one do with rotten rice?

[EnglishJohn]

Sure sounds like the current lot are not trying to maximize returns at all, so they can simply blame the PT for the higher costs (much like they forced financiers to refuse lending, or scared off foreign bids for it at the time). Create a problem to then lay blame.. Not like they didnt do exactly that with the protests.

Utter, utter nonsense. Don't let the real world get in the way of your puerile and simplistic brain-dead politics whatever you do.

It's now established facts that the murders of protesters was by organised red-shirts who were let through by police and not a single one caught at the time. By which it means Pheu-Thai and the UDD. Which means state sponsored terrorism against it's own people. And point blank refusal of Pheu-Thai to stop it even though it was clearly escalating as they got more and more desperate.

30 innocent people dead and counting before the coup. Including women and children.

And you try to imply the Army were behind it ?. I laugh in your face. It should be a National scandal up there with massacres by any failed government against it's own people.

I have no time for such hypocrites.

[HomeinThailand]

Industrial applications of rice include, rice husk, rice hull, and rice husk ash. There might not be a use for the rice grain that me eat but the outside sure has uses. I would venture to guess that if what ever has made the rice unfit to eat, that possible uses in alcohol could happen. The temperatures and fermentation process would destroy any bad pathogens present. You would use just the grain for that since that is where the starch is at.

[webfact]

Ministry to go ahead with auction of huge amount of rotten rice



BANGKOK: -- The Commerce Ministry yesterday moved forward to call auction of huge amount of rotten rice despite opposition from the private sector.

The first lot of rotten rice auction, which has been gathered from warehouses in seven provinces, totaled 37,400 tonnes.

Altogether the government has 1.29 million tonnes of rotten rice and declining quality rice in government stocks.

Over 100 private companies yesterday arrived to hear the auction details and inspect the rice before auction of the first lot starts next month.

Inspection of rotten rice will be open from November 23-27, at 10 warehouses in seven provinces namely Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nakhon Ratchasima, Surin, Phitsanulok, Chai Nat, and Nakhon Sawan.

All interested bidders are required to submit their qualification on November 30, and the auction for the first lot of 37,400 tonnes will begin December 1.

The ministry said the auction would help release the rotten rice back into the industrial sector.

But Thailand Surveyor Association, along with various other rice quality control companies, remained firm in its stance to oppose the rotten rice auction, pleading to the Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) to delay the releasing of the rice back into the market.

It said the delay will allow time for inspections to make sure that these rice are really rotten, otherwise, the state could face loss of millions of baht.

However Department of Foreign Trade’s director-general Duangporn Rodphaya affirmed that the process to release the rotten rice back into the industrial sector would be carried out under tight observation, where the rice would be released in the proportionate quantity and during the right time.

She said the auction should help remove the rotten rice from the normal rice cycle and would not affect the prices of rice harvested for consumption.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/ministry-to-go-ahead-with-auction-of-huge-amount-of-rotten-rice


-- Thai PBS 2015-11-24

[elgordo38]

Mix it with Rubber,which is also overstocked,and fill pot

holes in the roads,3 problems solved at once:facepalm:

regards Worgeordie

Enough cars here are bouncing into the wrong lanes without rubberizing the roads.

[IAMHERE]

This fworthless rice should be domated to the poor of Phillipines. They have had their rice crop destroyed by Typhones this year. It would be good karma for Thailand.

[zaphod reborn]

Send the rotten rice along with Yingluck to the EU parliament. The EU seems to be interested in sticking its nose into Thai politics. I think the EU parliament likes the smell of stench.

Edited November 24, 2015 by zaphod reborn

[slapout]

Its quite possible that those opposed to or trying to postpone the sale are part of the group who are being paid to store said rice

and could be /will be held responsible economically for the decreased value due to their own errors on storage, treatment, etc.

Those responsible for storage and are being paid for same are also responsible for return of full weight/ volume and quality of grain to the government, upon notice, that they recieved and are being paid to store. Why continue to pay for keeping rotten rice?

[Thai at Heart]

This undoubtedly opens the govt open to accusation of corruption. If the surveyors claim some is safe for Consumption, how on earth can this all be sold as rotten. Bear in mind, the volume designated as rotten is also figured in the cases for damage going on.

Classing rice as rotten when it isn't and thus increasing the damage is a bit off, all in all.

[FangFerang]

"However, Montatip Vaiyawanna, president of the Thai Agricultural Surveyors Association, said rice surveyors had not taken part in the government's rice inspection. She insisted that some of the rice from this lot could be sold for human consumption or feedmeal production, bringing in more money for the government."

If they didn't take part in the inspection, how do they know it's fit for consumption?

If they did take part why, as the govt rep said, didn't they say something at the time?

Perhaps FEAR such notice that any of the pledged rice was fit for human consumption runs counter to Prayut's claim that 90% was spoiled. The original survey done for Prayut's Rice Policy Committee found that only 10% of pledged rice stocks had spoiled or had missing bags. The Nation July 29, 2014

Maybe that fear has waned after 18 months of the Prayut regime.

I agree, especially since they said "She added that rice surveyor companies had also taken part in the rice inspection. If they wanted to oppose the auction, they should have done so earlier. Duangporn added that those rice surveyor companies would face legal action by the government as they were contributed to poor oversight of the rice stocks that caused the rotting."

Shut up or we'll prosecute--we need to get of this false evidence before the pretty mall haopping shopper goes on trial!

[shirtless]

I bet they have been inundated with offers with only limited supply.

[rubl]

"However, Montatip Vaiyawanna, president of the Thai Agricultural Surveyors Association, said rice surveyors had not taken part in the government's rice inspection. She insisted that some of the rice from this lot could be sold for human consumption or feedmeal production, bringing in more money for the government."

If they didn't take part in the inspection, how do they know it's fit for consumption?

If they did take part why, as the govt rep said, didn't they say something at the time?

Perhaps FEAR such notice that any of the pledged rice was fit for human consumption runs counter to Prayut's claim that 90% was spoiled. The original survey done for Prayut's Rice Policy Committee found that only 10% of pledged rice stocks had spoiled or had missing bags. The Nation July 29, 2014

Maybe that fear has waned after 18 months of the Prayut regime.

Interesting, 11 months ago you wrote "Gen. Prayuth's announcement that 80% of the stockpile largely created during the Yingluck regime was rotten".

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/785745-trea-optimistic-on-whole-stock-rice-auction-plan/#entry8833180

Somehow I'm unable to find the article in which PM Prayut made such statement. I did find the Nation article which also mentions the government and PM Prayut. The article has

"Only 10 per cent of rice stockpiles has spoiled and only some sacks were missing, while 80 per cent was in still good condition, the rice inspection committee reported to the Rice Policy Committee meeting yesterday."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/80-of-rice-is-fine-30239697.html

[rubl]

This undoubtedly opens the govt open to accusation of corruption. If the surveyors claim some is safe for Consumption, how on earth can this all be sold as rotten. Bear in mind, the volume designated as rotten is also figured in the cases for damage going on.

Classing rice as rotten when it isn't and thus increasing the damage is a bit off, all in all.

The OP has "some of it was of high enough quality to be sold for human consumption". I guess foreigners will surely believe this.

BTW in June 2014 we had 10% rotten, 80% of reasonable quality with 72% of 18m tonnes pledged checked. That could lead to 1.8m tonnes of rotten rice. Now we have "Altogether the government has 1.29 million tonnes of rotten rice and declining quality rice in government stocks."

Does this mean the volume designated as rotten is decreased on purpose the help lower figures in the damage case?