Our rice comes from reputable and trusted suppliers from throughout Southeast Asia.
Why can’t we get rice from the farmer’s you’re currently helping?
Well, that’s one of the main problems we’re working on tackling! The farmer’s we work with produce rice that is unable to pass quality control checks for countries such as the UK or the EU. Our goal is to reinvest enough profits from our rice sales to help them build a supply chain that is able to ensure their rice meets quality standards. One of our goals is to bring their rice directly to your table!
Why the need to build a different supply chain for rice?
Well, that’s because the current rice supply chain is very fragmented and this results in a lot of grain losses. Due to this supply chain, farmers get low prices at sale and as a result they are unable to access more efficient agriculture technologies which results in significant losses.
So at Paddi, we aim to provide farmers with the sustainable agriculture technologies they desperately need. These technologies will form a sustainable supply chain that is accessible to farmers and allows them to connect directly to high value markets to get fairer prices for their crop.
Where did you get your dryers from?
Our dryers are adapted from an open-source design of a Vietnamese Flat Bed Dryer. We work with local manufacturers who ensure our dryers are suitable for the local environment and circumstances.
How do the dryers actually help the rice farmers?
We operate a “laundromat” for drying rice. We install our Rice Inc Biomass Dryer in our target villages. During harvest, farmers bring their fresh paddy to our hub and lease our dryer at an affordable fixed fee. They are then able to take their dried paddy to either store it for consumption, or to sell at a later date or to sell it immediately.
By using our dryers, farmers are able to reduce their post-harvest grain loss caused by drying, dry 24 times faster than sun-drying and produce a better quality crop that can command a higher price. They are also able to store it to sell at a later date, leveraging off-season prices which are higher.
How are the HULT Prize and Rice Inc related?
The HULT Prize is the world’s largest competition for social enterprises that is co-hosted by President Bill Clinton, the United Nations and the HULT Prize Foundation. Every year, over 200,000 participants compete in a year long competition for a prize of a million dollars in funding. Rice Inc (Paddi's parent company) was honoured to be selected as the 2018 HULT Prize Global Winners.
What are the future plans for Rice Inc?
Our future plans have always been to create the supply chain of the future for rice. We aim to reinvest profits from all our rice sales to tackle each part of the supply chain by providing smallholder farmers with the agriculture technology to revitalise that particular part of the supply chain, starting with drying.
In the end, we hope to be able to connect smallholder farmers with high value markets, creating a sustainable supply chain that decommoditizes rice and allows farmers ethical prices. We will also work together with our farmer partners in implementing sustainable contract farming, cultivating rice that’s both high quality and better for the planet.
Are your products gluten free?
All of the rice that we supply is gluten free. Gluten is found in wheat or products containing wheat derivatives or rye, barley, oats, spelt and kamut.
Are your products suitable for vegans?
All of our products are suitable for vegans.
How much rice should I cook?
60g of dry rice per person should be a good amount.
