Thai govt brushes off call to test the quality of rice stocks

[webfact]

Govt brushes off call to test the quality of rice stocks

By The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- THE NATIONAL Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has brushed aside requests for a special order to open up warehouses to verify rice quality to see if it is still good for human consumption.

Col Winthai Suwaree, the NCPO spokesman, said the Commerce Ministry is responsible for responding to the Pheu Thai party’s claims that the government had sold rice in its inventory for feedmill production at a low price.

 

This has resulted in a heavy loss estimated to exceed Bt10 billion, according to Yuttapong Charassathien, a former Pheu Thai MP who doubted that the ongoing sale of 2.4 million tonnes of government-owned rice was implemented properly.

 

Winthai said Yuttapong should seek further information from the Commerce Ministry, which said it has reasons to justify its decision to sell the large quantity of rice at a relatively low price.

 

Earlier, Yuttapong, a former deputy agriculture minister, said he had evidence that the Commerce Ministry did not sell the rice to a company, named CPS Co, which offered to buy the government’s stock at about Bt9,000 per tonne. 

 

Instead, he said, the ministry later sold the same rice to other firms at a price of only Bt4,000 per tonne for use as feedmill rather than human consumption.

 

As a result, Yuttapong asked Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to exercise his power under Article 44 of the interim charter to re-open warehouses for the public to help verify the quality of rice.

 

Duangporn Rodprayad, director-general of the Department of Foreign Trade, said the selling price is not the only factor in managing the huge inventory that resulted from the previous Yingluck government’s unlimited rice-pledging scheme. The government needed to take into account warehouse, interest and rice treatment expenses as well as impacts on human and animal health, Duangporn said.

 

The huge inventory was acquired under the previous government’s rice-pledging scheme at a cost of Bt22,000-23,000 per tonne for white rice and Bt29,000-30,000 for Hom Mali rice.

 

According to the Commerce Ministry, the quality of rice had deteriorated due to an extended period of storage and was no longer suitable for human consumption, so it was sold to the feedmill industry at a lower price. 

 

Yuttapong said CPS Co, the company previously contracted by the ministry, had insisted that the rice was still good for people’s consumption so it should not be sold to the feedmill industry.

 

The former deputy agriculture ministry also urged Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn to attend to the verification process to see if the rice inventory was still good for human consumption.

 

Yuttapong also said CPS Co had twice sent letters to the Department of Foreign Trade seeking a review of the sale of rice at a low price.

 

When it took office more than three years ago, the Prayut government inherited a huge rice inventory of 18 million tonnes from the previous government’s rice-pledging scheme. Over the past three years, 3.5-4 million tonnes of rice have been sold annually at a loss to ease the government’s burden.

 

The last inventory of 2.87 million tonnes has been in the process of being sold, consisting of 167,000 tonnes of rice for people’s consumption, 2.14 million tonnes for feedmill, and 568,000 tonnes for the energy sector.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30320919

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-07-17

[ramrod711]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Yuttapong said CPS Co, the company previously contracted by the ministry, had insisted that the rice was still good for people’s consumption so it should not be sold to the feedmill industry.

I can't speak for other "people" but if I pay market price for rice, I want this years crop. Sort of like paying this years price for a last years model car because it didn't sell last year.

[Lupatria]

Its a bit like: Hold on don't touch it or...

[williamgeorgeallen]

dont test it or it will probably be devalued.

[Bob12345]

How is that promised transparancy coming along?

[Cadbury]

It may be that the NCPO is reluctant and embarrassed to open up the rice store doors as they know it is unlikely to still be there and has probably been spirited away by "connected" friends and long sold.

Why otherwise would they not want to check the quality??

[worgeordie]

Never mind the quality, feel the width.

regards Worgeordie

[JAG]

Never mind the quality, feel the width.
regards Worgeordie

See post #6.

Quite possibly not as wide as it once was...

[seajae]

the fact that some of the so called human consumption quality rice is actually not really fit for human consumption but gets bagged so good profits are made doesnt help. They tested all the stored rice some time ago to determine the quality, it doesnt become a better quality over time, then again if some bags are switched in a couple of warehouses you never know.

[Eric Loh]

So they not going to test the rice quality. That's almost an admission of guilt. A difference of 5,000 B normal and feedmill price multiply by 2.4 M tons and that's a lot of reasons why the junta is refusing to verify the quality. I smell corruption. 

[lvr181]

Caveat emptor comes to mind.

[farcanell]

Thailand and testing..... lmao... why start now

[candide]

3 hours ago, seajae said:

the fact that some of the so called human consumption quality rice is actually not really fit for human consumption but gets bagged so good profits are made doesnt help. They tested all the stored rice some time ago to determine the quality, it doesnt become a better quality over time, then again if some bags are switched in a couple of warehouses you never know.

It's not that simple!

1. They did not check every bag, just a sample of them.

2. One may not assume that the job was done correctly

3. One may not assume that the audit results have not been influenced by political objectives

4. The detailed results of the audit have not been published

5. It happened before

 

[billd766]

4 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

So they not going to test the rice quality. That's almost an admission of guilt. A difference of 5,000 B normal and feedmill price multiply by 2.4 M tons and that's a lot of reasons why the junta is refusing to verify the quality. I smell corruption. 

 

Would failing to produce accounts for yoears and refusing to do so, be an admission of guilt?

 

Would threatening an MP to be charged with theft because he displayed a bag of rotten rice, be an admission of guilt?

 

Would saying that a G2G sale of a million tons of rice was genuine and when it turns out to be a lie, be an admission of guilt?

 

I don't smell corruption Eric.

 

What I smell is fear from the PTP who were involved in the rice scheme.

 

Perhaps Thaksin said (though I don't know) that there would be no problems, and if you follow my lead, I will take care of you and if there are any problems I will fix them.

[Eric Loh]

2 hours ago, billd766 said:

 

Would failing to produce accounts for yoears and refusing to do so, be an admission of guilt?

 

Would threatening an MP to be charged with theft because he displayed a bag of rotten rice, be an admission of guilt?

 

Would saying that a G2G sale of a million tons of rice was genuine and when it turns out to be a lie, be an admission of guilt?

 

I don't smell corruption Eric.

 

What I smell is fear from the PTP who were involved in the rice scheme.

 

Perhaps Thaksin said (though I don't know) that there would be no problems, and if you follow my lead, I will take care of you and if there are any problems I will fix them.

I really don't understand why you brought that up. All those you mentioned are now materials for court cases and the court will rule on those charges. I don't see the court intervening and force the military to open the warehouse and call for the quality test. That my friend is true fear that alleged corruption would be exposed. The military always fix up their problems by intimidation and friendly courts.  

[billd766]

4 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

I really don't understand why you brought that up. All those you mentioned are now materials for court cases and the court will rule on those charges. I don't see the court intervening and force the military to open the warehouse and call for the quality test. That my friend is true fear that alleged corruption would be exposed. The military always fix up their problems by intimidation and friendly courts.  

 

I brought that up in response to your post about an admission of guilt about the current government

[Chris Lawrence]

A few mind readers and rice experts are foaming at the top.

 

How many rice storage areas are there in Thailand? Anyone want to guess?

[robblok]

25 minutes ago, Chris Lawrence said:

A few mind readers and rice experts are foaming at the top.

 

How many rice storage areas are there in Thailand? Anyone want to guess?

Many.

 

Possible corruption could be selling rice for feed (saying it is real bad while itis not) and then selling it to humans for a higher price. But if that is the case it would be easy to prove by testing the rice sold for feed.. that should be easily done ? If that was the case the PTP guy could have done the same as the Democrat under YL (the one that got threatened for theft for exposing rotting rice) and get a sample and show its good rice ?

 

As for the other rice... so much is stored over so many places with so many differences in storage facilities that is real hard to assess quality. It could be done but I thought it was done already. People saying the report was not released.. not sure about that but we can be sure it was not released in English and we can also be sure that reporters here are not as good as in the west. So it might well be released and we just dont know about it. 

[Chris Lawrence]

2 hours ago, robblok said:

Many.

 

Possible corruption could be selling rice for feed (saying it is real bad while itis not) and then selling it to humans for a higher price. But if that is the case it would be easy to prove by testing the rice sold for feed.. that should be easily done ? If that was the case the PTP guy could have done the same as the Democrat under YL (the one that got threatened for theft for exposing rotting rice) and get a sample and show its good rice ?

 

As for the other rice... so much is stored over so many places with so many differences in storage facilities that is real hard to assess quality. It could be done but I thought it was done already. People saying the report was not released.. not sure about that but we can be sure it was not released in English and we can also be sure that reporters here are not as good as in the west. So it might well be released and we just dont know about it. 

I think its about 2200? Just trying to find the figure.

 

Have a look at these report: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Thailand

http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/step-by-step-production/postharvest/storage#guidelines-for-safe-storage

http://www.thaiworldview.com/lao/isan6.htm

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/business/EconomyAndTourism/30316667

 

The General wants all old stocks gone, as reported in the Nation. 

 

Its also sad that the rice farmers are not really benefiting from this process. In 2001 the third report I listed gives an insight to the Farmers in Isan. Abt 21 million people back then. Then again the farmers were protected up until 1985. They lost Government guarantees. The outcome was that it got the younger people more mobile and out of the area.

 

Its a terrible thing that has happened to the farmers and their lives and wellbeing of families. The OP is only a snapshot of problems. You need to go into the history of what has happened. 

 

To test the rice left may help in determine a value of what has been left behind. It may also help to establish where the rice has come from.

 

Maybe the General is right? Just get rid of it.

[Chris Lawrence]

http://blogs.adelaide.edu.au/global-food/files/2015/07/Rice-Mountain-Assessment-of-the-Thai-rice-pledging-scheme.pdf

 

Also have a read of some of Peter Warr' publications. He is from Australian National University.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

You guys seem to be missing the point. According to The Nation article, most of the rice that the government has been selling lately has NOT been being sold for human consumption at higher prices, but instead, for animal feed and other purposes at lower prices.
 

Quote

 

The last inventory of 2.87 million tonnes has been in the process of being sold, consisting of 167,000 tonnes of rice for people’s consumption, 2.14 million tonnes for feedmill, and 568,000 tonnes for the energy sector.

 

 

Frankly, I'd rather they did NOT try to sell out old moldy, chemical infused rice at higher wholesale prices for that sub-par quality product to be bagged and passed along to consumers masquerading as decent rice.

 

Yes, the current government may be taking a loss on the current/recent sales, because they're left with tons and tons of old rice that really probably isn't largely fit for human consumption. So what other choice do they have other than to sell it at cut prices for animal feed and other non-human purposes?

 

If there's something wrong with all this, I'm not seeing what it is.

Edited July 17, 2017 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[candide]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

You guys seem to be missing the point. According to The Nation article, most of the rice that the government has been selling lately has NOT been being sold for human consumption at higher prices, but instead, for animal feed and other purposes at lower prices.
 

 

Frankly, I'd rather they did NOT try to sell out old moldy, chemical infused rice at higher wholesale prices for that sub-par quality product to be bagged and passed along to consumers masquerading as decent rice.

 

Yes, the current government may be taking a loss on the current/recent sales, because they're left with tons and tons of old rice that really probably isn't largely fit for human consumption. So what other choice do they have other than to sell it at cut prices for animal feed and other non-human purposes?

 

If there's something wrong with all this, I'm not seeing what it is.

The issue here is not that rotten rice may be sold for human consumption. The issue is that the rice sold as rotten may not be rotten. Two possible explanations come to mind. One is that it may allow the company buying the rice to make extra profits and give a cut to people involved in the deal. Another is that it contributes to the bad image of the rice scheme.

It makes sense to think that the PPT has connections in the rice business and may have got reliable information before raising this objection.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 hours ago, candide said:

The issue here is not that rotten rice may be sold for human consumption. The issue is that the rice sold as rotten may not be rotten. Two possible explanations come to mind. One is that it may allow the company buying the rice to make extra profits and give a cut to people involved in the deal. Another is that it contributes to the bad image of the rice scheme.

It makes sense to think that the PPT has connections in the rice business and may have got reliable information before raising this objection.

Yep, that's certainly possible...

 

But is there any actual evidence of that? And moreover, how long now has the unsold YL rice scam rice been sitting in warehouses since its original harvest??? Not exactly this year's crop anymore.