World rice trade to drop to 41.3 m tons in 2015: FAO

Tuesday, 21 April 2015 00:39 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Global milled rice trade this year is forecast to drop 2.5% from 2014 to 41.3 million tons, due mainly to good stockpiles or higher production in Asia, the United Nations food agency said on Friday. Global paddy output in 2015 is forecast to edge up 1.1% from last year to 749.8 million tons, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in its rice market monitor report for April.

Thailand is expected to be the world’s largest rice exporter this year with shipments of 11.2 million tons, followed by 9.3 million tons from India and 6.5 million tons from Vietnam. As such, the three Asian nations would account for a combined 65% of the world’s rice trade, down slightly from 68% last year. FAO revised up India’s rice exports last year to 11.3 million tons from 8.2 million tons estimated earlier, making it the world’s largest exporter in 2014, followed by Thailand with 11 million tons and Vietnam with 6.5 million tons. China, which was the world’s biggest importer last year along with Nigeria, is forecast to raise its import volumes by 5.2% to 3.2 million tons in 2015 due to higher demand in the mainland, the report said. Nigeria’s purchases abroad are forecast to dip 3.3% to 2.9 million tons in 2015. Rice output in China, also the world’s top producer, is forecast to edge up 0.2% to 208.5 million tons this year, FAO said. Last year China and Nigeria each bought three million tons of rice from abroad.