Dear Readers, The May 2013 issue of the Asia Pacific Food Situation Update (APFSU) reports that FAO is predicting India will retain its title as the world's leading exporter of rice this year, despite shipping about 2 million tonnes less of the grain than last year. Thailand's strong currency has sent its sugar exports into a prolonged slump. Independent researchers have confirmed that a controversial growing technique results in higher yields for rice, while Chinese scientists say that super strains of the grain will be ready for marketing in as soon as three years. Global food prices rose by an average of 1 percent in April, driven mainly by a surge in dairy prices related to a dry spell in New Zealand. Prices for the three major cereals, however, declined. Food prices around the region were largely stable or fell, although government support programmes in India and Myanmar pushed rice prices higher. Please feel free to share the APFSU with other interested colleagues. Please let us know if you would like to be removed from this mailing list. Best regards, Economic, Social and Policy Assistance Group (ESP) FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Bangkok Thailand The APFSU is prepared with the generous support of the European Union through the EC-FAO Food Security Programme "Linking Information and Decision-Making to Improve Food Security". The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. ######################################################################## To unsubscribe from the APCAS-L list, click the following link: &*TICKET_URL(APCAS-L,SIGNOFF);