Prof claims rice eaten by Phumtham was infested with fungi, weevils

The council and an academic from Chiang Mai University expressed concerns on Wednesday that the rice may be badly contaminated with anti-weevil and anti-fungi chemicals and may not be suitable for human or even animal consumption. Monruedee Pho-in, deputy chief of the TCC’s policies and innovations division, and Assoc Prof Puntipa Pongpiachan, a lecturer from Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Agriculture, were referring to the rice that has been stockpiled at two private warehouses in Surin over the past 10 years. On Monday, Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who also doubles as deputy PM, led a large delegation of reporters and private sector representatives to inspect the warehouses in Surin’s Muang and Prasat districts.

During the inspection, Phumtham ate some of the rice to prove it was safe for consumption and declared he would start auctioning it off in about a week. Monruedee said the TCC called on the Commerce Ministry, the Agriculture Ministry and other relevant government agencies to check samples from every sack stored at the two warehouses to determine if it was contaminated by chemicals. She added that the results of these tests must be made public before the rice is put under the hammer.



She said if the government insists on selling the rice, then it should release the names of the buyers, their purpose of procurement and their rice brands. If the rice gets sold in local markets, then there should be a notice on the bag showing the rice is from the 1.