Rice exports likely to decline in 2013: FAO

The fall in rice production in the current crop year in India against rising domestic demand is expected to affect exports of the key staple in 2013, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said.

“By contrast, the 2012 production shortfall and rising domestic needs may depress India’s exports next year,” FAO said in its latest Rice Market Monitor report.

The global body on the farm sector has pegged India’s rice production lower at 100 million tonnes (mt) in the 2012-13 crop year (July-June) from a record high of 104.32 mt in the 2011-12 crop year. FAO said the spurt in exports from India has helped it displace Thailand as the world’s largest rice exporter, with shipments expected to touch nine mt in 2012.
 

RICE BOWLS Production in mn tonnes
Country	2011-12E	2012-13F
China (Jan-Dec)	140.5	142.5
India (Oct-Sept)	104.3	99.8
Indonesia (Jan-Dec)	36.4	37.0
Bengladesh (Jul-Jun)	34.0	34.1
Vietnam (Jan-Dec)	26.4	26.7
Thailand (Jan-Dec)	20.5	21.2
World (Total)	463.4	464.8
E=Estimates, F=Forecast Source: International Grains Council/PTI

Thailand is pegged to ship 6.5 mt of the grain this year. Earlier, the United States Department of Agriculture had also put India as the world’s largest rice exporter for 2012, beating Thailand. Global rice trade is anticipated to grow by 2.5 per cent in calendar year 2012, to a new high of 37.3 mt, FAO said.