HM individual praises Thai rice patent. BKK Post 6/25/09

[thai 2 on]

As qouted in the Bangkok Post

" His Majesty an individual applauded Thai researchers and others involved in patenting the genes that
produce the aroma in Thai rice.

an individual yesterday addressed a delegation saying the patent was a significant step in keeping Thai rice
in the possession of Thais.

" I hope that every one of us will keep our Thainess by eating Thai rice, not farang rice" he said.

"I thank everyone who has worked on the rice patent issue."

His Majesty received a gold medal for his contribution to the research and development of Thai
rice during the audience at Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin

[Astana]

What is farang rice?

[beer monkey]

Not Thai Rice.

[Astana]

Not Thai Rice.

Cute... But not everyone can afford rice, many poor farangs just can't keep up with it all.

[JimboPSM]

There was a “Biopiracy” attempt by a US company some ten years or so ago to patent Thai Jasmine rice – had it been successful it would have resulted in Thai farmers having to pay licence fees and royalties to a US corporation to be able to continue to grow what they had grown for centuries.

This "Biopiracy" attempt made the intellectual property in Jasmine rice an extremely sensitive nationalistic issue in Thailand.

[Astana]

Of course your right JimboPSM

All joking aside... This all started when the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) improperly received seed samples of Thailand's famous aromatic 'Jasmine' rice, the germplasm was requested from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI - Los Banos, Philippines) and was acquired in December 1995 without the Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) that obliges the recipient not to patent or otherwise monopolize the donated seed.

Instead, agronomists at the University of Florida, Arkansas, and the USDA were or still are striving to develop a variation of the Jasmine rice that could be grown in the United States. If commercially successful, US-bred Jasmine could supplant much of Thailand's $1 billion export market not only to US gourmets but elsewhere in the world. Thailand is the world's leading rice exporter and its Jasmine aromatic rice commands a premium. Jasmine was bred and nurtured by Thai farmers from generation to generation and its market has become vital to the well-being of many farming communities in the country. Congratulations to the Thai researchers and the patents team... Hussar!

Uber Alles USA!

[vlad]

So even an individual calls us Farangs not his guests???

[Laan Yaa Mo]

It is perfectly legitimate to refer to us as farangs because that is what we are.

Perhaps you prefer the American designation which is, aliens?

Anyway, the main point is that justified praise is given to the people who came up with this idea so that Thai rice remains Thai rice.

It is part of the self-sufficiency programme sponsored by an individual during the last economic crisis. Remember pho yuu pho jin?

[beer monkey]

Anyway, the main point is that justified praise is given to the people who came up with this idea so that Thai rice remains Thai rice.

And so it should, its a very big part of Thailand.

[thai 2 on]

My reason for this posting was twofold. FIRST, is there such a word" THAINESS" Hows bout Englishness, Germanness, Hollandness and of course Americanness.

Second. Do you folks in Europe grow rice? I've never heard of English rice, German rice, Dutch rice (Dutch weed, yes ) French rice? I do not think Canada grows rice, so it is just the Americans who are out to ruin THAINESS?

[BobHelm]

There is such a word as Englishness, yes...
As far as I am aware Rice is not commercially grown in the UK - the climate is not (as the moment ) hot enough. Cereal crops (wheat, barley, oats) are grown instead.
I would think the worlds' largest proucer of rice is China (although they probably consume it as well), followed by India - but I am unsure if Indians are seen as 'Falangs'.
Much of the rice sold in the UK is American (although Indian & Thai is also available, but tends to be more expensive).
I would think your hint that this is aimed specifically at Americans is probably on the money thai2on...

[Aardvark]

We grow a fair bit of Rice here in Oz, but it is the long and short waxy types and not Aromatic like Thai Jasmine or Pakastani Basmati varieties. For those interested click on the link, you will find there are 40.000 different varieties around the world !! http://www.foodreference.com/html/art-r ... eties.html

[arjay]

I would suggest the word "farang" is loosely used to mean "foreign", so in this context the intention was probably to differentiate between Thai rice and foreign rice.

[rickfarang]

So, basically, if this is a U.S. patent, then those genes that were described in the patent could not be grown, used commercially, or sold in the U.S. That still leaves the rest of the world not covered by the patent. And that means that if the Americans do come up with a strain that can be grown in the U.S., that strain could probably be growing commercially in another country with suitable climate.

If I were the person in the Thai government responsible for protecting Thai Jasmine rice, I would be seeking plant patents (as available) in other potentially competitive countries. The rice strain is by no means a naturally occuring strain, so good luck to those involved in this effort.

[Astana]

So, basically, if this is a U.S. patent, then those genes that were described in the patent could not be grown, used commercially, or sold in the U.S. That still leaves the rest of the world not covered by the patent. And that means that if the Americans do come up with a strain that can be grown in the U.S., that strain could probably be growing commercially in another country with suitable climate.

If I were the person in the Thai government responsible for protecting Thai Jasmine rice, I would be seeking plant patents (as available) in other potentially competitive countries. The rice strain is by no means a naturally occuring strain, so good luck to those involved in this effort.

My understanding of what they call the germplasm is that it is similar to the human DNA concept, although it is similar to other human DNA the actual markers that make the DNA up is unique given the mathematical probability of someone else's DNA being identical to the subject DNA, makes it one in a million (approx) chance of being the same, hence DNA evidence can be used in criminal and civil law cases.

Ergo the strain of rice under scrutiny is unique to Thailand because of the germplasm and the likelyhood of being unique to Thailand is high.