Indian rice export rates ease as supplies rise

Export prices of rice in India dipped last week as supplies increased following the extension of a government scheme to provide subsidised grains, while rates in Vietnam and Thailand were mostly flat amid softer demand and rising output, reports Reuters.
Top exporter India's 5 per cent broken parboiled variety was quoted at $365-$369 per tonne, down from previous week's $367-$370.
"In the open market supplies have improved as government has started distributing free rice and wheat to poor people. Local prices are coming under pressure," said an exporter based in Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Thailand's 5 per cent broken rice prices were quoted at $408-$412 per tonne.
Traders said there has been a slight increase in demand but not enough to impact prices as shipping and logistic costs have declined slightly, "maybe due to stabilization after initial shock from the war in Europe."
More rice from recent harvests is also entering the market, traders added.
Vietnam's 5 per cent broken rice were offered at $400-$415 per tonne on Thursday, unchanged from a week ago.
"Supplies are building up, but export activity is quiet as the shipping cost is very high," a trader in Ho Chi Minh City said.