The USDA has made four upward revisions to the 2012-13 rice production forecast this month. Bangladesh’s rice production this year is now expected to reach about 34 million tons, up about 200,000 tons from the previous month’s forecast, mainly due to improvement in yield.
Rice production forecast for Nepal has also been increased by about 100,000 tons to a record 3 million tons, also based on a higher yield this year, said the USDA.
Forecast has also been raised for Bolivia by about 74,000 tons to a record 364,000 tons based on increased acreage and yield, and for Ukraine by about 3,000 tons to 103,000 tons.
USDA has lowered the forecast for four countries as well. Rice production in Argentina is expected to decline from previous forecast by 32,000 tons to 1.008 million tons based on weaker yield due to excessive rain during the planting season.
Panama’s rice production forecast has been lowered by 34,000 tons to 175,000 tons as higher production costs and a water shortage are likely to shrink rice acreage in the country. Rice production in Laos’ is expected to decline 55,000 tons from previous forecast to 1.48 million tons, while the rice production forecast for Russia has been lowered by around 2,000 tons to 683,000 tons.
The overall global rice production for 2012-13 is now forecast at 465.8 million tons, up slightly from the previous month’s forecast of 465.5 million tons and up about 800,000 tons from 2011-12.
Source: Black Sea grain
