Browse Data and Analysis

On August 24, 2023, the Philippines marked Bt cotton as the 4th genetically engineered crop approved for commercial propagation after corn (2002), rice (2021), and eggplant (2022).

FAS Manila adjusts marketing year (MY) 2024 raw sugar production down to 1.8 million metric tons, 100,000 metric tons (MT) below USDA Official. Declining sugarcane planting areas and weather disturbances including the ongoing El Niño are expected to affect sugar production.

Based on the export pace through the first 10 months of the year, the 2022/23 rice export estimate is reduced from 3.7 to 3.4 million tons.

FAS Manila forecasts beef imports to remain flat at 200,000 MT Carcass Weight Equivalent (CWE) in 2024 because of low demand for imported beef.

FAS New Delhi (Post) forecasts India’s market year (MY) 2023/2024 (August-July) almond production lower at 4,200 metric tons (MT) (kernel-weight basis), 800 MT lower compared to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) official MY 2022/2023 estimate of 5,000 MT.

FAS Manila expects rice imports to decline to 3.5 million MT as high prices in the international market and price ceilings ordered by the President disincentivize imports.

India, the world’s largest rice exporter, disrupted global rice markets by banning white rice exports in July 2023, before placing an export tax on parboiled rice exports in August 2023.

On September 5, 2023, and just in time for the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Summit, India’s Ministry of Finance issued Notification No. 53/2023 (Customs), officially notifying the lifting of retaliatory tariffs imposed in 2019 on U.S.-origin almonds, apples, chickpeas, lentils, and walnuts effective September 6, 2023.

On August 25, 2023, India’s Ministry of Finance issued Notification No. 49/2023 (Customs), notifying with immediate effect that the Indian government is imposing a 20 percent export duty on parboiled non-basmati rice (PNB), harmonized tariff system (HS) code 1006.30.10.

The Ministry of Agriculture in Bangladesh amended the Bangladesh Seed Rules of 2020, allowing seed companies to release and register their crop varieties one year after obtaining their dealership registration.

On August 21, 2023, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) First Amendment Regulations 2023 in the Gazette of India (Notification No. STD/SP-21/T(Alcohol-4).

India’s soybean oilseed and rapeseed production estimates for marketing year (MY) 2022/23 (October-September) increased to 12.4 and 11.8 million metric tons (MMT) respectively due to favorable weather conditions.