Rotten rice seized in Phitsanulok

Rotten rice seized in Phitsanulok

A public auditor team seized some rice at a warehouse in Wat Bot, Phitsanulok province, after finding a portion was rotten.

Rice in some sacks is rotten and turns powdery.

The Auditor General's Office is tasked with inspecting rice under the rice-pledging programme. 

Prachak Boonyoung, an auditor at the Auditor General's Office, had earlier found some sacks stained and mouldy at a warehouse run by Kasetpaisankij Mill.

The auditor team today inspected the warehouse, which joined the scheme for the 2011/12 crop year, and found the rice in some sacks was spoiled and turned powdery.

Surveyors claimed the affected sacks were not thoroughly sprayed because they were lined up along the edges and a 30-high stack had tumbled and yet to be cleared, blocking access.

The 19,800 sacks were accepted to the programme between Nov 30, 2011 and Jan 12, 2012 from Prompiram Chaisiri 2 Partnership Ltd and Limcharoen Thanyakij Partnership Ltd and Santi Mill. The paddy is the provincial fragrant rice code Por Lor 03 04 05 of 2012.

Dead rats and pigeons were also found in the warehouse.

The auditors were also suspicious as they were led to good quality sacks and Market Organization for Farmers officials blocked the way to the problem sacks.

The rice will be confiscated for at least one week for DNA tests to determine whether it was grown in Phitsanulok or smuggled from neighbouring countries to take advantage of the price gap, Mr Prachak said.

All the damage must be compensated by the surveyors.

Initially, the team found the warehouse violated the rental contract which requires mechanisms to prevent birds from entering and closed-circuit cameras be installed. 

The Wat Bot warehouse where rotten rice is found.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (8)