Narong Jantharung, a rice farmer from the Northeast province of Ubon Ratchathani, won this year’s best jasmine rice award at an event hosted by the Department of Internal Trade (DIT) on Wednesday.

Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai presided over the 41st edition of the National Hom Mali Rice Competition in Bangkok and handed out the awards, including certificates, honorary plaques and cash prizes totalling 625,000 baht.

Coming in second and third in the individual rice growers category were Phayao’s Chan Somsobbong and Surin’s Surian Sanglai.

In the farmers’ cooperative and institute category, the Song Plueai Community Enterprise from Roi Et, also in the Northeast, claimed this year’s best-quality jasmine rice award.

Coming in second and third were Nakhon Phanom Farmer Cooperative and Mae Or Organic Rice Centre from Chiang Mai.

Phumtham, who is also deputy prime minister, said DIT has been holding this competition annually for 41 years to raise awareness of Thailand’s signature rice products grown by more than 4.7 million farmers in 22 provinces.

The event also aims to reward farmers and farming cooperatives for their hard work in producing outstanding products that highlight the unique features of Thai jasmine rice globally.

The ceremony also serves as a platform for buyers to sign purchase contracts with farmers. A total of 340 tonnes of rice was reportedly sold at the event on Wednesday.

The minister said that last year, Thailand exported 8.46 million tonnes of rice, thanks to a 28% growth in production year on year – the highest in five years. Rice exports have brought 178.12 billion baht to the country’s economy.

Phumtham added that last year alone, Thailand shipped 1.32 million tonnes of jasmine rice to countries like the United States, China, Canada and Hong Kong, where buyers prefer Thai rice even though it is far more expensive than rice from other countries.

He added that the Commerce Ministry has successfully negotiated a government-to-government rice-purchasing contract with Indonesia, which will be buying its first lot of 55,000 tonnes within this month.

Thailand still has 280,000 tonnes of rice left from the 1-million-tonne G2G contract with China, he added.

Published Date: April 24, 2024