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Thailand’s rice bowl threatened by rise of regional rivals
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The shrinking appetite for Thai rice is worrying, as the grain is crucial to livelihoods and trade and as a daily staple in Thailand.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
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BANGKOK - In 2022, Thailand’s Hom Mali rice lost its title of the World’s Best Rice to Cambodia’s Phka Rumduol grain, marking an embarrassing defeat for the crop often touted as the pride of the nation.
The Thai grain’s lack of fragrance – a deciding factor in its loss, according to one of the judges – spurred industry leaders to hurriedly launch an investigation into the matter. They ultimately chalked the defeat up to unfavourable weather conditions and inauthentic rice seeds, which diluted the variety’s distinctive aroma.
