Thai Rice

The Thai King has sponsored a scientific programme to discover the genes which produce the aroma in Thai rice. The genes have now been patented and the King has called on the nation to keep being true Thai and to continue to eat Thai rice and not imported rice. Thailand is the world biggest rice exporter, Vietnam is a close second and the Thais are worried that they will overtake them. Apparently the Vietnamese are exporting a strain of rice taken from Thailand in the past and Thailand may be able to control this problem with the new patent.