Pledged rice “still good” after 10 years

Pledged rice "still good" after 10 years

Pledged rice 'still good' after 10 years
Rice was cooked for the media to demonstrate its safety after it was kept in a warehouse in Surin for ten years as part of the questionable Yingluck Shinawatra leadership pledging policy. Phumtham Wechayachai, the deputy prime minister and trade minister, said the examination was to dispel the rice’s rotting claims. Photos: Ministry of Commerce

Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who says his government will do the selling process for the corn next year, claims that the grain, which has been kept in warehouses in Surin for ten years is still of good quality.

Mr Phumtham, along with representatives of private and public organisations, corn surveyors, the Thai Rice Mill Association, wheat exporters and journalists, visited two wheat warehouses in Surin Monday night to test corn stored in them for more than 10 years to prove it was still fine quality and nutritious.

Its storage was a part of the previous perfect minister’s government’s rice-pledging initiative.

The Kittichai inventory in Prasat area and the Muang district’s Poolphol Trading Co inventory were two of the rice warehouses that they visited.

Kittichai inventory received 258, 106 baskets of grain weighing 26, 094 kilograms from 24 grain mill under the system on Jan 3, 2014, while the latter received 94, 637 baskets weighing 9, 567 tonnes from six mills on March 14, 2014.

The two stores now have 112, 711 baskets weighing 11, 656 kilos and 32, 879 baskets weighing 3, 356 kilos left, both.

The visits came in response to a corn expert in Surin’s claim that it was difficult for the 10-year-old rice to still be edible and that Mr. Phumtham’s plan to bid the rice for consumption was unfavorable.

Following Mr. Phumtham’s earlier visit to both warehouses in March to study the grain, the expert asserted. At the time, he said the wheat was in good condition and nutritious.

During Monday’s attend, Mr Phumtham dismissed the state, saying whether grain becomes spoiled after 10 years mainly depends on how it is preserved. If it is well- preserved, it may last a long time, but if it is hard preserved, it will go off after just a time, he said.

He claimed that the stores themselves were entirely sealed to avoid birds and water from entering, and that the rice at both warehouses had been meticulously preserved and often fumigated.

” The bidding process may begin at the earliest in a year.” We’ll make it quick and self-employed”, said Mr Phumtham.

The secretary expects to increase about 200- 400 million ringgit from the selling.