Issue 57

Processed rice products from Thailand are growing on the global market and have become one of the country’s most promising export commodities.

Along with durian and coconut, processed rice is one of the three most promising agricultural products on the world market, according to the Trade Policy and Strategy Office, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Center for International Trade Studies University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Thai company Happy Box has eyed this growth over a number of years, and plans to push processed Thai rice products on international markets. The company was started by a family that had experienced the health benefits of Thai organic rice, particularly wholegrain rice.

After many years’ study and much trial and error, the family finally arrived upon the perfect recipe made from Thai rice. Happy Box was established in 2013, launching products under the Prize brand initially aimed at the domestic market.

“When our products were first introduced, we got very good feedback from health-conscious consumers because our products are made from Thai organic rice with high-quality ingredients,” says Salisa Sresthaporn, assistant manager of Happy Box. “We use a popping process, rather than baking or frying. The products are also free of monosodium glutamate, preservatives and gluten.”

The company has now introduced two product lines – popped rice under the Prize brand and organic rice crackers under the Priz brand. All products are made from Thai organic rice such as wholegrain jasmine rice, wholegrain red rice, organic brown jasmine rice and black rice.

Apart from high nutrition and delicious taste, Happy Box provides genuine organic products certified by the Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand (ACT). It has also received HACCP, GMP, Bureau Veritas and Halal certification both for their products and manufacturing process, which guarantees product quality and makes it acceptable on the world market.

“We export our products to many countries and get very good responses,” says Sresthaporn. The company’s main international markets are Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia. “We are planning to expand our products to US and EU markets because people there are increasingly seeking organic healthy foods, especially those that are also gluten free.”

With continual growth in the healthy food market, Happy Box is considering expanding its products to give customers more choice, and to develop products to satisfy a new generation of customers.

“We are going to manufacture new product lines such as kids’ products offering a variety of fruit-flavoured snacks and dips for our crackers and so on. For product packaging, we will change it to make it attractive and appealing to gain more attention from teen customers,” says Sresthaporn.

Although processed Thai rice products are doing well in both domestic and international markets, the young entrepreneur believes there is still a challenge that needs to be addressed.

“I would like government and private institutions to urge farmers to plant more organic rice in order to meet growing market requirements,” she says. “If this happens, then processed Thai rice will definitely go further in this industry, I’m sure.”

For more information, please visit: www.moc.go.th. Photo courtesy of Happy Box Co., Ltd.

Words by: Patcharee Taedangpetch