Thai farmers warned against smuggling uncertified Vietnamese rice strains

Thailand‘s Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Captain Thamanat Prompow, cautioned local farmers against cultivating or smuggling uncertified Vietnamese rice strains.

The warning, issued yesterday, December 8, comes in light of potential complaints from Vietnam, which could negatively impact Thailand’s reputation and bilateral relations.

Despite the higher yield per area of Vietnamese rice strains providing increased income for farmers, the minister emphasised the Department of Rice’s inability to certify smuggled rice strains from neighbouring countries. To address this, Capt. Thamanat has directed the Department of Rice to investigate and develop higher-yielding, superior quality domestic rice strains for the upcoming planting season.

Earlier this week, global rice trading firm, The Rice Trader (TRT) announced that Vietnam’s Ong Cua ST25 rice had secured the first prize in the World’s Best Rice 2023 contest at the World Rice Conference in Cebu, Philippines. The competition, which took place from November 28 to 30, saw around 30 rice varieties from various countries participating. The runners-up were rice varieties from Cambodia and India.

Chookiat Ophaswongse, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, noted that Thailand had refrained from participating in this year’s competition despite its rice being globally acclaimed for its high quality and standards. Thailand’s Hom Mali 105 rice had previously won the world’s best rice title for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021. However, Cambodia’s Phka Rumduol rice outperformed Thailand’s Hom Mali rice to clinch the title of Best Rice in the World last year.

This absence of Thai rice from the competition sparked a controversy among the Thai public, as Thai rice has been a consistent contender among the top three best rice types globally, reported Bangkok Post.

Despite the lower yield per area of local rice, Capt. Thamanat reassured that the quality of Thai rice was not inferior to any other variety.

The online community is embroiled in a heated debate following the omission of Thai rice from the top three spots in the World’s Best Rice 2023 competition. This has sparked questions about the quality of Thai rice, a key export and a source of national pride. Read the original story HERE.