Guinean President lauds Thailand's development of rice varieties

BANGKOK, June 26 (TNA) - Guinean President Alpha Conde has praised the development of various Thai rice strains, suggesting an exchange of experts to help Guinea improve its own grain varieties. The Guinean President expressed the appreciation when visiting Thailand's Rice Research Center in the central Pathum Thani province, where he was welcomed by the Pathum Thani governor and the Rice Department chief. The Guinean President said that his Western African nation has abundant natural resources, known to be the most fertile in the Western African region, and want to learn from Thailand's experiences on the development of rice strains through exchanges of experts, particularly those on soil management systems, to achieve its goal of becoming self-reliance on food supply by 2014. The Guinean President, who is paying an official visit to Thailand from June 24-26, later went to the National Rice Genebank located within the premise of the Rice Research Center, where he cultivated rice on a model rice field. (TNA)