Dear Subscriber,
We are pleased to send you
the new issue of the FAO Rice Price Update.
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Brief commentary of the month:
·
The FAO All Rice Price Index (2002-2004=100) gained 3.6 points (1.8 percent) in April 2017 to arrive at a nine-month high of 198 points. The steepest climb concerned Aromatica quotations last month,
which posted their fifth successive monthly increase, rising by 7.7 percent. Gains were in the order of 1.5 percent for Higher Quality Indica rice and of 0.7 percent for Lower Quality Indica supplies. Japonica quotations remained mostly stable.
·
Export prices tended to strengthen in most Asian origins during April, amid intensifying demand, often from Near Eastern buyers preparing for Ramadan. Viet Nam stood as an exception to this trend, with
sentiment in the country taking a bearish turn as much anticipated G2G business failed to materialize, while the winter-spring harvest entered its final stage. In Thailand, benchmark 100%B white rice rose by 3 percent to USD 394 per tonne, buoyed by anticipation
and eventual confirmation of large sales to the Islamic Republic of Iran. A stronger Rupee and tight supplies ahead of the Rabi harvest lent further support to quotations in India, while dwindling availabilities and sales to regular African outlets caused
Indica offers in Pakistan to resume their upward trajectory. In the Americas, prospects of steep cuts to 2017 plantings, combined with lower than expected inventory levels, underpinned Indica prices in the United States, although gains were capped by disappointment
over lack of US awards in a recent Iraqi tender. Prices also regained ground in Uruguay, following sales to Iraq and Latin American buyers, whereas new crop arrivals and slow demand extended losses of Argentinian and Brazilian quotations.
·
According to the Index, international rice prices in the first four months of 2017 were 0.8 percent below year-earlier levels, with the weakness confined to the Japonica and Higher Quality Indica segments.
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For more information on prices, you can consult the Food Price Monitoring and Analysis Tool
(http://www.fao.org/giews/pricetool/),
which gives access to quotations of major traded products, including the high quality Thai white rice 100% B and the 100% broken rice Thai A1 Super, from 2000 onwards. The site also hosts domestic (retail or wholesale) prices
for major food commodities in 98 countries.
You might also be interested to visit:
· The FAO Rice Market Monitor (four issues per year):
http://www.fao.org/economic/RMM/
·
The FAO World Food Situation portal, in particular the monthly update on the World Cereal Supply and Demand Situation and Outlook:
http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/en/
·
The Monthly News Report on Grains:
http://www.fao.org/economic/est/publications/grains-publications/monthly-news-report-on-grains-mnr/en/
· The Oilcrops Monthly Price and Policy Update (ten issues per year): http://www.fao.org/economic/est/publications/oilcrops-publications/oilcrops-monthly-price-and-policy-update/en/
· Meat and Meat Products – Price and trade update (four issues per year):
http://www.fao.org/economic/est/est-commodities/meat/meat-and-meat-products-update/en/
·
Milk and Milk products – Price and trade update (four issues per year):
http://www.fao.org/economic/est/est-commodities/dairy/milk-and-milk-products/en/
Kind regards,
Shirley
Shirley Mustafa
Economist
Trade and Markets Division
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy
D-808
Tel. 39-06-570 52202
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
