The Rice Department will certify eight new high-yield rice strains in April, with a plan to promote those strains among farmers nationwide.
Deputy spokeswoman Rudklao Suwankiri said on Sunday the department worked with Ruam Jai Pattana Kwamroo, a private company with expertise in rice research, to develop the strains, which have been planted in government research centres nationwide.
"Those rice strains are aimed at elevating the quality and quantity of Thai rice, with crop yields expected to jump from the present average of 700–800 kilogrammes per rai to 1,300kg per rai," she said. The increase in production will help meet the high demand for rice in the global market while enhancing Thailand's competitiveness in the region.
Ms Rudklao said the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives' rice development policy is based on the principle of using innovation to help increase incomes for farmers. "Rice is one of the key export products from Thailand. The government will keep improving the rice to increase earnings for farmers," she said.
The announcement of the new certification comes after Thailand's famed Thai Hom Mali rice appeared to be losing its foothold in the market. It did not feature in the World's Best Rice Awards 2023, after the Commerce Ministry and the Thai Rice Exporters Association decided not to join the contest this year, according to Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Capt Thamanat Prompow.
Even though the Hom Mali rice strain won the contest in 2020 and 2021, it lost its champion title in 2022 to Cambodia's Phka Rumduol. Vietnam's ST25 won this year's award.
Thailand has at least 149 million rai planted in rice, or 47% of the country's agricultural areas, with at least 17 million rice farmers nationwide.