BANGKOK, Nov 18 (TNA) — Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sri-on has ordered the Rice Department to quickly improve Thailand’s Hom Mali fragrant rice after it lost its championship in the past two years to Vietnam and Cambodia.
Mr Chalermchai said he made his order after Hom Mali rice was the first runner-up in the World’s Best Rice Contest in Manila, losing the championship to Vietnam’s ST24 rice variety this year. Last year Hom Mali rice was also at the second position after Cambodia’s Angkor rice.
According to the minister, Vietnam’s ST24 rice grains are long and soft. Although they are less fragrant than Hom Mali grains, they are sweeter. Vietnam took five years to develop this variety.
Angkor rice is popular among Chinese consumers as it is fragrant, sticky and soft. Its weak point is that it becomes hard after being left in a room temperature for only 10 minutes. Angkor rice won the championship because Cambodia had tried to keep the rice contamination-free.
Cambodia grew rice only once a year and used chemical and organic fertilizer which made its rice more delicious, Mr Chalermchai said.
“Thailand must quickly conduct researches on rice varieties. Studies must determine if decades long of monoculture caused rice quality to deteriorate,” the minister said. (TNA)
