Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 3/9/2004

**GAIN Report Number:** TH4029

TH4028

**Thailand**

**Grain and Feed**

**Weekly Rice Price Update**

**2004**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Rodrick McSherry, Agricultural Counselor

U.S. Embassy, Bangkok

**Prepared by:**

Ponnarong Prasertsri, Agricultural Specialist

**Report Highlights:**

Export prices increased noticeably due to a flash of strong demand from
China.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Bangkok \[TH1\]

\[TH\]

**Indicative Price (Week Ending Mar. 8):**

  ------------ -------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ -------- ------
  Thailand:                                                                      
  Export (FOB)                                                                   
  Prices for                                                                     
  various                                                                        
  grades of                                                                      
  rice                                                                           
  (USD/M.T.)                                                                     

               Exporter                                                 Period   
               Observations                                             Avg.     

               #1             #2     #3     #4     #5     #6     #7     CUR.     PRV.

  F WR 100 B   490            475    552    503    \-     485    490    499      500

  WR 100 B     240            235    242    237    \-     244    230    238      225

  PB 5%        225            223    236    232    \-     239    225    230      218

  WR 5%        235            230    234    232    \-     236    225    232      219

  WR 10%       230            225    229    229    \-     231    220    227      215

  WR 15%       228            220    224    224    \-     270    215    230      211

  WR 25%       223            215    223    220    \-     220    210    219      207

  WR 35%       218            210    221    218    \-     216    205    215      202

  A 1 SUP      198            198    192    197    \-     196    195    196      190

  A 1 SPEC     196            196    191    195    \-     \-     194    194      189

                                                                                 

  Source:                                                                        
  Average                                                                        
  actual                                                                         
  prices                                                                         
  received                                                                       
  from                                                                           
  exporters                                                                      
  ------------ -------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ -------- ------

**Market Tone**

Export prices for most grades of rice continued to increase
significantly, due mainly to unexpected strong demand for white rice
from China, following its shortage there. Also, domestic supply remained
tight, as the supply of second crop will not come onto the market until
the next few months. Some exporters did not quote prices, due to the
current volatility in the market. However, it is expected that the
situation will came back to normal soon.

The following are reported rice exports (as is basis)**:**

  ------------ -------------- -------------- ------------- ---------------
  WEEK ENDING  QUANTITY       4-WK AVG       YEAR TO DATE  YEAR AGO

               (MT)           (MT)           (TMT)         (TMT)

  JAN 18       119,650        \-             208           178

  JAN 25       72,837         \-             280           294

  FEB 1        99,666         93,281         380           365

  FEB 8        111,643        100,949        492           446

  FEB 15       130,404        103,638        622           535

  FEB 22       130,267        117,995        753           613

  FEB 29       142,979        128,823        895           699

  MAR 7        101,059        126,177        996           745
  ------------ -------------- -------------- ------------- ---------------

Note on data: Export figures since March 22, 2002, do not include
fragrant rice. The authority to report fragrant rice exports was moved
from the Thai Board of Trade to the Ministry of Commerce's Office of
Commodity Standards, which does not release official fragrant rice
export data. FAS/BKK will report only official export numbers from the
Board of Trade for non-fragrant and from the Office of Commodity
Standards for fragrant rice when available, but the reader should bear
in mind the difference between the data.

Unofficial exports (excluding fragrant rice) for Mar. 1-7, 2004 totaled
101,059 tons, down 41,919 tons from the previous week's total and down
25,118 tons from the four-week moving average of 126,177 tons. Exports
during Jan. 1 -- Mar. 7, 2004 totaled 996,426 tons, compared with
744,562 tons during the same period in 2003.

According to the Department of Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce,
total rice exports (including fragrant rice) during Jan. 1- Mar. 1,
2004, amounted to 1,286,212 tons, up 13 percent from 1,134,598 tons in
the previous year.

**Weekly Rice Sales**

Private registered rice export sales for the period of Feb. 16-20, Feb.
23-27, and Mar. 1-5, 2004 are as follows:

  -------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------
  Movement (MT)        Feb. 16-20       Feb. 23-27       Mar 1-5

                                                         

  weekly sales         106,695          114,262          104,958

  4 week sum           631,990          555,985          484,432

  4 week mov. avg.     157,998          138,996          121,108

  Total weekly sales   945,453          1,059,715        1,164,673
  -------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------

End of Report.