Issue 18

Thailand’s fragrant jasmine rice has been named the world’s finest alongside its Cambodian counterpart at the international World Rice Conference.

Thailand’s brown jasmine rice and Cambodia’s romduol rice species were awarded the coveted title during the sixth World Rice Conference, held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in November. For the previous two years, Cambodian rice has walked away with the title, but at this year’s event Thailand’s popular offering was jointly awarded the top prize.

In total, 25 rice samples from 15 countries and regions, including Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Myanmar and the US entered the contest hoping to scoop the coveted title. During the two-day event, a panel of industry experts sampled the different strains before choosing the winner solely based on the appearance and taste of each of the types of rice.

Jeremy Zwinger, president and chief executive officer of the Rice Trader, which organises the annual competition, announced the winners during the conference, which was held at Koh Pich’s convention centre in Phnom Penh.

Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary President of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, claimed the prize is proof of the popularity of Thailand’s tasty rice. "We are one of the world's largest rice exporters and our rice's quality is internationally recognised," he said.

Ophaswongse said that as of the beginning of November, Thailand had exported about eight million tonnes of milled rice and was on track to hit its 10.5 million tonne target by the end of the year. This shows a significant growth of about 70 per cent, meaning Thailand will this year reclaim its former status as the world’s largest rice exporter.

Figures from the end of October show India as the second-largest rice exporter this year with almost seven million tonnes. Vietnam is next with more than 5.34 million tonnes, followed by Pakistan with 2.5 million and the US with just over two million tonnes.

Speaking of Cambodian rice’s joint win with Thailand, Sok Puthyvuth, president of the Cambodia Rice Federation, said, "This is another significant milestone for Cambodia's rice industry. The award clearly reflects our rice's high quality and I hope that the reputation of our rice will continue to be better known internationally." According to Puthyvuth, between January and October this year, Cambodia exported 304,788 tonnes of milled rice, earning about US$180 million.

Jasmine rice is the highest produced strain of rice in Thailand and is regarded as a higher quality grain. Despite having a significantly lower yield than other varieties it usually fetches more than double the price of other strains available on the global marketplace.

Brown jasmine rice is said to carry greater health benefits than its white counterpart because it still contains the bran. It is also rich in vitamins, such as vitamins A and B, and contains antioxidants that boost the working of the nervous system and are said to help fight cancer.

Words by Marissa Carruthers