Browse Data and Analysis

Rice export prices further declined 1-3 percent due to the weakening of the Thai baht against the U.S. dollar and the downward price pressure from the new MY2023/24 off-season rice supplies.

The regional harvested area for Marketing Year (MY) 2024/25 is forecast to rise 17 percent at 1.38 million hectares (MHA) compared to the previous year based on expectations of good farm gate prices and improved security and stability in many cotton-growing areas.

South Africa’s corn crop in marketing year 2023/24 has been affected by an El Niño induced mid-summer drought, resulting in an expected drop of more than 15 percent in crop volume.

FAS Bangkok forecasts Thailand’s rice and corn production to marginally increase in MY 2024/25 along with expanded acreage in response to current attractive farm-gate prices. In 2025, Thailand will likely export 7.5 million metric tons of rice or well above its 5-year average.

The South African ports have been overwhelmed with challenges in the past few years, causing delays in operations and financial losses. In 2022, the Container Port Performance Index by the World Bank ranked the port of Durban 341 out of 348 ports in the world and the Port of Cape Town was ranked 344.

Rice export prices dropped 2-3 percent as the Thai baht weakened and new MY 2023/24 off-season rice supplies entered the market.

Ghana continues to demonstrate its conviction that proven science-based advanced technologies remain viable options in the global efforts to achieve food security in the face of various production constraints like climate change.

FAS Nairobi forecasts Kenya's corn production will remain unchanged year-on-year in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 at 3.7 million metric tons (MT) due to similar growing conditions, area harvested, and input availability.

Rice export prices stayed virtually unchanged as the strengthening of the Thai baht offset the downward price pressure from new off-season MY 2023/24 rice supplies entering the market.

On February 21, 2024, The Government of Rwanda (GoR) published a new biosafety law providing requirements for the transit and utilization of living modified organisms (LMOs) produced through modern biotechnology techniques. This law enters effect immediately.

Due to rising insecurity in grain producing regions and higher input costs affecting planting decisions, corn and rice production is expected to decline in marketing year (MY) 2024/25.

Rice export prices increased 1-2 percent due to the strengthening of the Thai baht and the demand for white rice from Indonesia.