Browse Data and Analysis

FAS Rangoon forecasts Burma’s rice and corn production to increase in MY 2025/26 due to improvement in average yield, driven by favorable weather and flood recovery compared to MY 2024/25.

Sustained rainfall due to a subsiding El Nino and a weak La Nina that is predicted to last until April 2025 will likely lead to increased rice and corn production in 2024/25.

Indonesia’s 2024/25 wheat imports are forecast to decline 8 percent from 2023/24, when higher demand from feed mills, consumption of wheat flour-based food from major events in early 2024, and demand for cheaper alternatives to rice drove wheat imports up to new record highs.

Driven mainly by higher demand from feed mills, higher consumption of flour-based food during the consecutive religious festivities and general election, as well as demand for alternative staples cheaper than rice and trending flour-based foods, Indonesian wheat imports in 2023/24 are estimated to break record levels at 12.6 million metric tons (MMT).

Exporters and importers continue to face much uncertainty due to the military regime’s foreign currency control policies and continuing conflict between the regime and ethnic armed forces. FAS Rangoon forecasts Burma’s MY 2024/25 rice exports to recover to 1.7 MMT amid high stocks and expected relaxation of export controls. MY 2024/25 corn exports and wheat imports will remain flat.

The Red Sea conflict is not expected to pose significant threats to Indonesian grain imports. Driven by demand from the recent general elections, as well as high local corn prices, imports of wheat for food and feed consumption are estimated to...

The El Nino climate pattern is expected to reduce Indonesia's 2022/23 rice and corn production. Post estimates Indonesia's 2022/23 corn production to decline to 12.3 million metric tons (MMT) compared to the previous estimate of 12.9 MMT.

Economic slowdowns in Indonesia’s export destination countries curbed Indonesia’s imports and consumption of wheat.

FAS Rangoon (Post) forecasts Burma’s rice exports, corn exports, and wheat import smaller in MY 2023/24. Exporters and importers continue to face a lot of uncertainties with the continuing changing policies on export/import procedures and foreign currency controls.

High commodity prices in the international market during the last term of 2022 are expected to impede the growth of 2022/23 Indonesian wheat imports and curb the use of wheat in feed formulation.

FAS Rangoon forecasts Burma’s corn production lower due to rising production costs, unstable security conditions in some production areas, and unfavorable weather especially in Shan State.

Market uncertainty and price volatility in international markets led to flour mills importing more wheat in 2021/22 to hold them over in case of future shortages. Therefore, Post revises 2021/22 wheat imports to 11.3 MMT, up 12 percent from its previous estimate of 10.7 MMT.