BANGKOK, 20 June 2013 The Thai Rice Exporters Association expresses a belief that there is rotten rice in the government’s stock due to a lack of storing space and bad storage conditions.
Honorary Chairman of the Thai Rice Exporters Association Chukiat Opaswong said there might be as much as 17-18 million tons of rice under the government’s rice pledging program being kept in stock. Most of the them had been kept in the warehouses for a long time as related officials were unable to sell them. Therefore, chances were that some of the rice would become rotten, Mr Chukiat said.
He went on to say that the conditions of rice in stock also depend on the efficiency of participating rice mills which own warehouses. He called on the government to strictly inspect whether the rice was properly stored.
Meanwhile, Honorary Chairman of the Thai Rice Mills Association Watthana Rattanawong said the rice in stock has very little chance of rotting if it has been treated under a standardized procedure. He however admitted that if the rice has not received proper fumigation against dampness, chances of rottening are high.
