Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 6/8/2004

**GAIN Report Number:** TH4063

TH4063

**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/Russ Nicely, Agricultural
Attache

**Report Highlights:**

Export prices changed slightly, as trading activities were confined to
small buyers.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Bangkok \[TH1\]

\[TH\]

**Indicative Prices (Week Ending June 7):**

  ------------ -------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ -------- ------
  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   455            440    544    458    475    460    450    469      472

  WR 100 B     234            232    243    234    235    235    230    235      235

  PB 5%        238            240    261    243    242    249    235    244      245

  WR 5%        230            227    236    231    228    228    225    229      230

  WR 10%       228            222    231    227    226    226    220    226      226

  WR 15%       226            220    226    226    220    224    215    222      223

  WR 25%       223            217    224    225    218    221    210    220      220

  WR 35%       222            215    221    222    216    219    205    217      217

  A 1 SUP      212            210    221    215    212    213    210    213      212

  A 1 SPEC     210            209    220    213    210    \-     208    212      211

                                                                                 

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

**Market Tone**

Export prices for most grades of rice changed slightly. Trade sources
reported that trading activities were confined only to small buyers,
particularly from the Middle East, like Saudi Arabia, which began to buy
fragrant rice again after the depletion of its stock. Meanwhile, major
buyers, in particular China, are reportedly seeking further price
reductions in white rice. However, trade sources reported that most rice
traders got struck with their expensive stocks accumulated a couple of
months ago. As a result, the deceleration in prices remained limited.

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

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

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

  APR 18       92,426         131,956        1,795         1,181

  APR 25       163,685        135,668        1,959         1,298

  MAY 2        157,639        135,395        2,116         1,390

  MAY 9        157,567        142,829        2,272         1,446

  MAY 16       184,048        165,734        2,456         1,514

  MAY 23       138,473        159,432        2,594         1,597

  MAY 30       157,666        159,439        2,752         1,714

  JUN 6        171,411        162,900        2,923         1,796
  ------------ -------------- -------------- ------------- ---------------

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 May 31 -- Jun 6, 2004
totaled 171,411 tons, up 13,744 tons from the previous week's total and
up 8,511 tons from the four-week moving average of 162,900 tons. Exports
during Jan. 1 -- Jun. 6, 2004 totaled 2,923,241 tons, compared with
1,795,995 tons during the same period in 2003.

According to the Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce,
total rice exports (including fragrant rice) during Jan. 1- May 25,
2004, amounted to 3,518,563 tons, up 39.9 percent from 2,514,309 tons in
the previous year.

**Weekly Rice Sales**

Private registered rice export sales for the period of May 17-21, May
24-28, and May 31 -- Jun 4, 2004 are as follows:

  -------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------
  Movement (MT)        May 17-21        May 24-28        May 31 -- Jun 4

                                                         

  weekly sales         240,453          176,658          121,229

  4 week sum           737,437          773,415          741,413

  4 week mov. avg.     184,359          193,354          185,353

  Total weekly sales   3,419,166        3,595,824        3,717,053
  -------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------

End of Report.