Govt to Revise Thai Jasmine Rice Standards for Global Market

Thansettakij•Economy•3d ago

Reader Briefing

The Thai government is considering revising Jasmine rice standards to include other rice varieties based on quality and characteristics to expand market opportunities.

•The Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC) is gathering opinions on revising Jasmine rice standards based on a proposal from the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce (JSCC).
•The proposed change aims to shift standards from specific variety restrictions to criteria based on rice characteristics and quality.
•The Ministry of Commerce has set a rice export target of 7 million tons for this year.
•The 'Refined Rice' project aims to transition from selling volume to selling value through branding and quality control.

Overview

•The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce (JSCC), comprising the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Thai Industries, and the Thai Bankers' Association, proposed that current Jasmine rice regulations are obstacles to business.
•The Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC) is conducting public hearings to determine the appropriateness of revising the Ministry of Commerce's 2016 notification on Thai Jasmine rice standards.
•The proposed revision seeks to reduce unnecessary steps and costs while increasing business flexibility by allowing other varieties that meet quality criteria to be certified.
•Supajee stated that rice seed development is a critical issue because without continuous improvement, Thai rice quality will not differ from competitors.
•Supajee instructed a survey of needs across 466 communities in the refined rice project to provide targeted support for tools such as rice moisture reducers.
•The Ministry of Commerce will coordinate with the Public Warehouse Organization, the Department of Foreign Trade, the Department of Internal Trade, and the Department of International Trade Promotion to expand export markets and manage prices.
•The Ministry of Commerce has set a rice export target of 7 million tons for the current year.
•Provincial commerce offices have been assigned to create an "agricultural product calendar" to prepare markets before harvest to prevent price drops.

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Source: Thansettakij (Original)

Key Quotes

Supajee

"If we sell ordinary rice, we only compete on price, but refined rice is rice with a story, rice that we care for from the start to processing."

ถ้าเราขายข้าวธรรมดาทั่วไป เราก็แข่งแต่ราคา แต่ข้าวประณีตเป็นข้าวที่มีเรื่องราว เป็นข้าวที่เราใส่ใจตั้งแต่ต้นทางถึงการแปรรูป

Key Entities

Organization

Office of the Public Sector Development Commission(สำนักงานคณะกรรมการพัฒนาระบบราชการ)

The agency conducting public hearings on Jasmine rice standards based on the JSCC proposal.

Joint Standing Committee on Commerce(คณะกรรมการร่วมภาคเอกชน 3 สถาบัน)

A group comprising the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Thai Industries, and Thai Bankers' Association that proposed the regulation revision.

Thai Chamber of Commerce(สภาหอการค้าแห่งประเทศไทย)

One of the three institutions forming the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce.

Federation of Thai Industries(สภาอุตสาหกรรมแห่งประเทศไทย)ℹ️

One of the three institutions forming the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce.

Thai Bankers' Association(สมาคมธนาคารไทย)

One of the three institutions forming the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce.

Ministry of Commerce(กระทรวงพาณิชย์)ℹ️

The ministry responsible for rice export targets and integrating agency work to expand markets.

Ban Um Sang Community Rice Center Community Enterprise(วิสาหกิจชุมชนศูนย์ข้าวชุมชนบ้านอุ่มแสง)

A representative group from the refined rice sector in Sisaket.

Bo Kaeo Subdistrict Agricultural Community Rice Center(ศูนย์ข้าวชุมชนเกษตรตำบลบ่อแก้ว)

A representative group from the refined rice sector in Sisaket.

BAAC Customer Marketing Agricultural Cooperative Sisaket Ltd.(สหกรณ์การเกษตรเพื่อการตลาดลูกค้า ธ.ก.ส. ศรีสะเกษ จำกัด)

A cooperative participating in the discussions regarding rice standards and funding.

Department of Rice(กรมการข้าว)

The agency tasked with integrating seed research and development.

BAAC(ธ.ก.ส.)ℹ️

The bank coordinating with the government to provide appropriate funding for farmers.

Public Warehouse Organization(องค์การคลังสินค้า)

The agency responsible for absorbing produce during price drops.

Department of Foreign Trade(กรมการค้าต่างประเทศ)

The agency tasked with accelerating the expansion of export markets.

Department of Internal Trade(กรมการค้าภายใน)

The agency helping link community rice products with buyers.

Department of International Trade Promotion(กรมส่งเสริมการค้าระหว่างประเทศ)

The agency helping link community rice products with international buyers through business matching.

Law

Ministry of Commerce Notification on Thai Jasmine Rice Standards (No. 3) 2016(ประกาศกระทรวงพาณิชย์ เรื่อง กำหนดให้ข้าวหอมมะลิไทยเป็นสินค้ามาตรฐานและมาตรฐานสินค้าข้าวหอมมะลิไทย (ฉบับที่ 3) พ.ศ. 2559)

The regulation being considered for revision to allow other rice varieties based on quality characteristics.

Person

Anurat Thamprachamchit(อนุรัตน์ ธรรมประจำจิต)

Governor of Sisaket Province who participated in the discussion.

Wittawat Traisornnakul(วิทวัส ไตรสรณกุล)

Member of Parliament for District 9, Sisaket Province.

Rattavit Angkasakulkiat(รัฐวิทย์ อังคสกุลเกียรติ)

President of the Sisaket Chamber of Commerce.

Supajee(ศุภจี)

Official who discussed the refined rice project, seed development, and market integration.

Place

Sisaket(ศรีสะเกษ)ℹ️

The province where the rice community representatives and officials are located.