Issue07 : 07 July 2014

The vast Thai rice field.

Thailand has long been recognised for exporting its Hom Mali rice, but as Horizon Thailand discovers, plenty of research goes on behind the scenes in order to preserve the country’s dominant global position.

Thailand has a long history of exporting rice. For at least 400 years, the Kingdom has exported the crop to the West. Now, largely due to the work of the Bureau of Rice Research and Development (BRRD), the country is developing more and more rice varietals to respond to market demands and environmental forces.

“The history of the Bureau goes back almost a hundred years,” says Dr Suwat Jearakongman, the director of BRRD. In fact, it was 1907 when King Rama V organised the first Agriculture and Commerce Exhibition in Thailand. This aimed to find the best rice cultivator in the country and encourage farmers to produce higher quality rice. Then in 1916, the Thai government established an experimental rice field in central - northern Rangsit district, now known as the Pathum Thani Rice Research Centre. This was followed by many rice research centres across the country. However, it was only in 2006 that the current BRRD was established.

Dr Suwat Jearakongman, the director of BRRD

Jearakongman says that the work of the BRRD can be broken down into two categories. The first is to develop types of rice that are appropriate for different environmental conditions. For example, if the rice is grown close to a river, farmers would need a variety that could grow in a flooded area. Secondly, the bureau develops rice varieties that respond to market demand.

“We have a meeting every trimester to determine what characteristics of rice we should develop,” says Jearakongman. “[We] talk with many sectors – the Rice Department, researchers, the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Thai Rice Exporters Association, millers and farmer associations.”

Thailand’s flagship export, Hom Mali rice – which means fragrant rice with the colour of jasmine blossom – is one such product. As the third largest rice exporter of the world, Thailand exported 6.6 million tonnes of the staple in 2013 of which 28.9% was Hom Mali. But, today’s increasingly demanding world that is always craving something different keeps the BRRD’s 2,800 staff busy.

Recently, the Bureau has researched and developed healthier varieties of rice – coloured rice and low sugar rice. The latter has been tested on diabetics with satisfactory results. Coloured rice, such as Luem Pua glutinous rice has significant health qualities and is rich in vitamin E, B and antioxidants.

As the international rice market becomes increasingly sophisticated, the opportunity for the development of niche rice varieties increases. Thanks to the work of the BRRD, Thailand is in a perfect situation to capitalise upon this brave new world.

For more information on Thai rice, visit www.thairice.org or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Words by Ratipol Opasjaroenkij