Tanasan Rice delivers premium rice from the farm to the table

Country Business Reports interviews and articles by Discovery Reports www.discoveryreports.com

When the farm-to-table concept was introduced a few years ago, one of the intentions was to remind people that food really did grow on farms. The movement highlighted the importance of farmers working synergistically with the season and environment to put fresh and flavourful natural food on dining tables daily. Embracing the farm-to-table concept, top Thai rice producer Tanasan Rice Group brings premium rice grown by farmers directly to consumers worldwide. In Asia, where more than 90 per cent of rice is grown and consumed, Tanasan Rice ensures the availability of this staple food source by caring for the soil, the milling process and the very hands that grow the grains.

“Buying from Tanasan Rice means buying rice directly from the farmers,” says Suphachai Voraapinyaporn, president of Tanasan Rice Group and its subsidiary Premium Rice Export. “We look after the well-being of the farmers by ensuring they get good yields and a good price.”

Tanasan Rice cooperates with the government and works with a network of paddy specialists to aid farmer associations in sustainably managing their crops and the environment. Maintaining the year-on-year production and quality of the rice without harming the soil and the people’s livelihood is crucial. Quality control remains a top priority for Tanasan Rice to protect the freshness and uniformity of its grains without affecting fragrance, aroma and taste. As a result, the company is supported by international certifications such as the Good Manufacturing Practices, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points, ISO9001, BRC Global Standards and halal certification.

Satisfying customers’ demand for safe, healthy and affordable rice is at the core of Tanasan Rice. It delivers an assortment of Thai rice under its customers’ labels including hom mali or jasmine rice, which is regarded as the highest quality of Thai rice, pathumthani fragrant rice, white, parboiled, glutinous and brown rice. Tanasan Rice can also fulfil requirements for tailor-made rice or specific strains as demanded by clients. The company also distributes its own range of rice varieties using its house brand Premium Rice to markets in mainland China, Hong Kong and parts of Southeast Asia.

“Rice is still a high commodity product, so clients usually do not know that the high-quality rice they buy from traders or retailers is actually from us. But our vision is for people to distinguish our Premium Rice label,” Suphachai says. “We aim to showcase our own brand in all our destination markets.”

Tanasan Rice exports its products to Asia, Africa, the Middle East and North America. Its paramount goals are to open distribution centres in locations where private importers are encouraged, and to serve all market demands – from bulk orders to as small as a kilo of rice ordered through an online platform, and within a short lead time. To achieve these targets, Tanasan Rice welcomes cooperation with agents, retailers and distributors with vast networks and understanding of local markets. It also reaches out to potential joint-venture partners and financial investors to quickly execute its global expansion plans.

Starting as a traditional rice miller in 2002, Tanasan Rice Group transformed its business three years ago to focus more on exporting directly to consumers. Last year, Tanasan Rice Group exported 718,000 tonnes of rice – a phenomenal growth from its 2014 shipment of 78,000 tonnes. With an industry landscape that increasingly encourages the enhancement of quality and price of commodities, Tanasan Rice sees continuous growth in the horizon.

“More and more consumers are buying directly from us,” Suphachai says. “With no middle men, we are able to keep our margins low and the level of quality consistent. The rice-consuming population is huge, so there is almost infinite growth. If we can tap the right people and companies, that would fast-track all our objectives.”

Tanasan Rice Group
http://www.tanasanrice.co.th