BANGKOK, 14 June 2015- The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will be supplied with machines for the disinfestation of weevil’s eggs through the dielectric method, under a collaboration between the Agricultural Research Development Agency (ARDA) and Eureka Design Public Company Limited.
Chavalit Chookajorn, Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Cooperatives, chaired the signing of an agreement over technology licensing right between the ARDA and Eureka Design Plc. At the event, he said the dielectric disinfestation machine would replace the more costly fumigation method via methyl bromide. Methyl bromide is also being banned by several countries starting this year.
According to Mr. Chavalit, the dielectric heating machine would destroy all weevils and eggs in rice without leaving behind any contaminants. He said the new technology would create an advantage for Thai rice in the global market, and allow Thai rice to be exported as a chemicals-free product.
