New breed of pledging

New breed of pledging

Former finance minister Korn Chatikavanij launches project to encourage appreciation of new strains of rice and guarantee crop prices

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE

Just like most consumers of the Kingdom's main culinary staple of smooth, polished white rice, Korn Chatikavanij was never much of a fan of so-called novel types of Thai rice. 

Korn Chatikavanij.

Although those fancy-looking grains (in black, brown and reddish colours, for example) can provide health benefits, he rarely enjoyed them.   

Despite all this, the former finance minister has launched Kaset Khemkhaeng, translated as "strong agriculture" in Thai, a project inaugurated a little over a year ago to encourage chemical-free farming and provide marketing support, as well as a fair and better trade price to local farmers.

Korn recently invited a circle of foodie friends and media to a workshop he organised to urge diners to design their favourite blends of rice from various strains. 

It was also an opportunity to create a new appreciation and awareness among rice consumers, the politician-cum-founder of Kaset Khemkhaeng explained.

Under the brand Imm, the project's pioneering product Maha Sarakham blended rice, sold mainly via websites, was a success. The mixture of a few native rice grains from the northeastern Maha Sarakham province yielded more than 20,000 baht per tonne to the rice growers.

"In order to lend a wholesome support to local farmers, it is important to capture the value and authenticity of native harvests," Korn said.

"Modern-day consumers might look at the non-white rice as fancy breeds that require intricate cultivation. But the truth is that those breeds are indigenous and easily grow at their origin. Compared to commercially popular counterparts, growing native crops costs less and requires much less pesticide and fertiliser."

According to him, Thailand, which boasts some 60 million rai of rice plantations, has more than a thousand indigenous rice breeds. The majority of Thais, however, couldn't be more ignorant when it comes to the art and science behind our national produce.

As a matter of fact, rice can be identified very roughly by four different characteristics: whether ordinary; sticky; white; or unpolished. As diners, we hardly ever consider, or care, where the rice on our plates comes from.

"Thais regard rice as a commodity, not culinary bliss, let alone a national distinction that should be preserved and protected," Korn noted.  

"Even I, myself, am not that knowledgeable about rice culture. Despite this, I decided to start the project. Otherwise it wouldn't have been able to progress."

By encouraging diners to blend rice, Korn hopes it can be a good starting point in creating a new gastronomic appreciation, that will eventually lead to a greater demand for rustic breeds. 

"And when the consumers get to realise the tastiness of different kinds of rice, I'm sure they will be interested in finding out and studying more about the origins of different strains." 

Korn said that agriculture will always be the world's key industry. As consumers today are more sophisticated and have more buying power, they are willing to pay for better quality food.

His Kaset Khemkhaeng project is therefore aiming to promote high-quality produce that comes straight from the rice fields to the diners' tables. 

Korn finds unpolished, colourful options of rice provide a very satisfying taste.

"If we want to support small-scale food producers, we have to upgrade the quality of their produce as opposed to increase the volume of their harvest, which is very difficult, in order to compete with big-scale players.

"We can rest assured that, when it comes to professional skill, local farmers are armed with carefully passed-on wisdom and hands-on experience, but they lack negotiating power to obtain a fair price and are tremendously concerned about the market.

"Our challenge is to assure farmers that without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides they would be able to cultivate enough crops to be able to yield enough income. It's a process of building belief."

Korn said that rice farmers who participate in this project right now are paid 20,000-25,000 baht per tonne of rice, compared to the typical 6,000-8,000 baht they are usually paid by middlemen.

"So even with low yields due to unfavourable climate conditions, farmers know they would still be able earn more than they did in the past," he said.

"Introducing the local farmers to e-commerce trade is another way to build a sustainable trade channel. They don't have to be worried about the product outlet." 

According to Korn, the second batch of Imm rice, from Bang Rakam district in Phitsanulok province, has already attracted Chinese merchants interested in chemical-free Thai produce. 

There have also been some interested buyers from Europe and Australia. 

"We hope to see the involvement of high-profile corporates in promoting Thai rice as a national heritage for the world. Meanwhile, provincial authorities can also help, for example, by certifying produce and organising farmers' markets. From the data of the number of plantations, farm capacities and types of crops, authorities can forecast the annual produce and pre-sell the harvest online."

Korn looks forward to the day when Thai rice is regarded by consumers the same way as French wine is across the globe, with different crops being treasured for their origins and characteristics. 

"Like wine, each harvest of rice should be respected according to its terroir [a set of special characteristics according to the geology, geography and climate conditions of a certain place].

And, like wine, different strains of rice should be appreciated for their unique flavour profile, while blending different types of rice should become a significant part of culinary preference.       

"In the past, I believed that white rice better complemented kub khao [side dishes]. But after I got to sample various types of rice I found that unpolished, colourful options provided a very satisfying taste. I was hooked on white rice for so long that familiarity became a strong, perhaps misleading, perception.   

"I now hope for the day when diners don't just decide on which entrée to have, but also give as much attention to the selection of rice when matching a specific type of strain with a particular category of side dish," he said.

The Kaset Khemkhaeng project aims to establish a closer bond between urban diners and rice growers.

Blended rice from Bang Rakam in Phitsanulok comes in cotton bags hand-woven by the rice farmers.

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