Army may serve up 10-year-old rice if it is safe: defence minister
The Thai armed forces will purchase the rice stored under the rice-pledging scheme for 10 years if its quality is up to par, Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang said.
He was responding to a plan reportedly disclosed by Deputy PM and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai that part of the 15,000-tonne stock of rice would be used to feed military personnel.
Sutin said the armed forces often purchased rice, fruits and other farm products from the Commerce and Agriculture and Cooperatives ministries to help bump up the prices when there is an oversupply.
As for criticism about the quality of the old rice, Sutin said it will be scientifically tested to see if it is edible and meets standards.
“Phumtham eating the rice in front of everyone was a kind of guarantee about its quality. However, to raise our confidence, there should be some sort of examination,” he said.
The defence minister added that he will consult with authorised personnel in the armed forces about testing the quality of the rice to ensure it is safe for military personnel to consume. “We have to ensure that all the food purchased for the personnel meets the required quality,” he said.
On Monday, Phumtham ate rice reportedly taken from a warehouse in Surin province to prove that the 10-year-old rice was perfectly fine for human consumption. In front of a large gathering of the media, the minister was seen having a few spoonsful of rice mixed with spicy stir-fried chicken with basil.
However, experts warn that this rice may not be suitable for human consumption, especially after it has been exposed to anti-pest sprays for a decade. The jasmine rice was bought as part of a controversial rice-pledging scheme implemented under Yingluck Shinawatra’s government, which was ousted in a military coup in 2014.
