‘Weevil-free’ rice from Thailand now ready for discharge, says Bicol agri exec

Officials of the Bureau of Plant Industry along with the National Food Authority conduct sampling on the sacks of imported rice from Thailand inside MV Emperor 1 docked at the Tabaco City port on Thursday. INQUIRER PHOTO/MICHAEL B. JAUCIAN/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON

TABACO CITY – With the seven-day fumigation and the 24-hour aeration now over, the 200,000 bags of imported rice from Thailand is now cleared or free from weevil (“bukbok”), according to the Bureau of Plant Industry Quarantine Service (BPIQS).

“After the sampling, I now recommend to NFA (National Food Authority) that the rice from Thailand is ready and can now [be] discharge[d] or unload[ed] any time soon and be delivered to the local market,” Danilo Doblon, Bicol BPIQS manager said.

The BPIQS conducted an inspection at the MV Emperor 1 docked off the shore of Tabaco City on Thursday.

Representatives from NFA Bicol witnessed the sampling by BPIQS in the three hatches of the ship.

“After more than hundred bags were randomly checked and tested, we found out that the pests were all dead,” Doblom said.

He said the fumigant called Phosphine, a chemical in tablet form placed in the area which melted and turned into gas, eliminated the live pests.

Asked if the rice is safe for consumption after it was treated, Doblon said, “It is safe and not harmful to human beings because aeration has been done.”

Aeration or aerification means exposing an object or substance to air.

He stressed that fumigation is normally done for all imported farm products to prevent pest infestation.

In a previous interview, Nelsie Alcantara, NFA Bicol spokesperson, said the shipment was part of the 800,000 bags of imported rice allotted for Bicol for the year.