World Grain - February 2012 - 100

RICE QUARTERLY

News Roundup
Thailand’s rice exports to fall by 2.5 to 4 million tonnes
BANGKOK, THAILAND — The Thai Rice Exporters Association said on Jan. 16 that the country’s rice exports will fall by 2.5 to 4 million tonnes to 6.5 to 8 million tonnes in 2012. Last year, Thailand exported 10.5 million tonnes. Rice exports face many obstacles, according to Association President Korbsook Iamsuree. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts that global rice trade will amount to 31.88 million tonnes, a drop of about 3 million tonnes from the previous year. Thailand’s exports will be hurt by the resumption of exports from India, following a three-year suspension. Also, Thai rice prices are higher than the competition due to the government’s rice mortgage scheme, the association said. In addition, several other countries, including Cambodia, Myanmar, Brazil, Uruguay and Pakistan, have increased their exports this year. Rice prices and production will depend on regional conditions and any natural disasters as well as currency exchange ﬂuctuations and the government’s policies, the association said.

Rice

Indonesia, Myanmar sign rice supply contract
YANGON, MYANMAR — Bulog, Indonesia’s state procurement agency, said on Feb. 1 that it planned to sign an agreement with the Myanmar Rice Industry Association (MRIA) to buy between 100,000 and 200,000 tonnes of 5% broken rice per year from Myanmar. The ﬁrst shipment of about 10,000 tonnes is scheduled in February, Ye Min Aung, MRIA secretary, told Reuters. Bulog imported 1.9 million tonnes of rice last year from Thailand, Vietnam and India.

Vietnam rice exports reach 7.1 million tonnes in 2011
HANOI, VIETNAM — Vietnam’s rice exports in 2011 reached a record high of 7.1 million tonnes for a value of $3.5 billion, the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) reported on Jan. 6. That was a 5.2% production increase from last year, said Pham Van Bay, VFA deputy chairman, and a 20.43% increase in free on board (FOB) value. Last year, the average FOB was $493.50 per tonne, an increase from $62.40 the previous year. Countries in Asia bought 66.52% of Vietnam’s rice with African countries buying 22.75%. The return of Indonesia and an increase in exports to China and Bangladesh made up for a reducing in imports from the Philippines, Van Bay said. An improvement in Vietnamese rice quality has allowed the nation to access more “choosy” markets, said VFA Chairman Truong Thanh Phong.

Indonesia to increase local rice production by 10 million tonnes
JAKARTA, INDONESIA — Indonesia’s Agriculture Minister Suswono Asyraf said in late January that the country plans to increase domestic rice output of by 10 million tonnes. Asyraf told Bloomberg that increasing rice output would be an important policy goal, and that the government is working to enhance irrigation, decrease reliance on chemical fertilizers and develop geneticallymodiﬁed rice to increase yields and adapt crops to climate change. Rice consumption averages about 100 kilograms per person per year, but the government is working to encourage consumers to shift to other foods.

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February 2012 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com

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World Grain - February 2012

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