21- First rice mills

Oct 22, 2004

In an engaging early treatise, “Historical Relations of the Kingdom of Siam”, author De La Loubere reported that there were two windmills in King Narai’s Ayutthaya and Lop Buri, busily grinding corn

and wheat. The monarch even had his own corn field, the visitor noted.

But in the Rattanakosin period that marked Bangkok’s initial

phase as the nation's capital, the windmills were replaced by rice mills.

“Siam Directory 1889”, published by Dr Smith, recorded that the first American rice mill was opened on October 22, 1858, during the Fourth Reign. Its founders were American merchants, and its location was on what is now Tok Road in Yan Nawa district. The mill was sold in 1884 to Chinese entrepreneurs, who by then were the only ones involved in the rice trade.

While Rama IV was on the throne, there were around 30 rice mills in Siam.

Today there are about 40,000. The crop has always been widely cultivated here and the development of new rice varieties has never stopped. There are about 3,500 grown today, with hom mali recognised as the top grade.

The Kingdom, a major global supplier of rice ever since the reign of Rama IV, has been the world’s largest exporter since 1981. It currently provides 25 per cent of the planet’s needs, ahead of India, the United States, Vietnam and China. Other exporters are Australia, Burma, Cambodia and Pakistan.

Thailand last year exported 7.6 million tonnes of rice and expects to ship 9.0 million tonnes this year. Its income from the trade amounted to Bt82 billion in 2003, and is predicted to reach Bt113 billion by 2008.

Thailand ranks sixth in the world in terms of rice production, with China harvesting the most and India, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Vietnam cultivating more. But China, Indonesia and Vietnam lead the world in rice consumption.

And the demand is always rising. The planet's peoples ate 387 million tonnes of rice in 1999, and an amazing 408 million tonnes last year. Many mouths to feed.

Nithinand Yorsaengrat

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