Legal Measures for Agricultural Product Standard Control and Inspection: A Case Study of Organic Jasmine Rice

Abstract

This research aims to study the legal measures for controlling and ensuring that the agricultural products of organic jasmine rice qualities meet the standards required by law before coming on the market under the laws and regulatory agencies controlling the quality of agricultural product standards of organic jasmine rice. The author studied the Agricultural Commodity Standards Act, B.E. 2551 (2008), Guidance on the Application of Thai Agricultural Standard: Organic Agriculture Part 1, Guidance on the Application of Thai Agricultural Standard: Organic Agriculture Part 4 and the Consumer Protection Act, B.E. 2522 (1979).

The study found the Guidance on the Application of Thai Agricultural Standard: Organic Agriculture Part 1 and the Guidance on the Application of Thai Agricultural Standard: Organic Agriculture Part 4 mentioned chemical free production, processing, packaging, storage and transportation methods which could become a standard for organic jasmine rice. However, a law enforcing the organic jasmine rice standard inspection and control does not exist. An organic certification symbol is used but a law mandating that organic product symbol does not exist. A product the organic product symbol could come on the market. Accordingly, selling organic products without the organic symbol or failing the inspection is not considered an offense.

The author suggests that a law should be introduced and regulatory officials should be responsible for controlling the standard of organic jasmine rice by requiring the mandatory inspection process before coming on the market. A manufacturer should pass the state agency’s inspection and obtain a mandatory certification mark in order to ensure the organic jasmine rice standards. The government should have the right to prosecute and punish unaccepted organic jasmine rice sellers and manufacturers.