Reference Date: 15-July-2024

Planting of 2024 main cereal crops ongoing with some delay due to dryness

Planting of the 2024 main wet paddy crop, which accounts for about 80 percent of the annual production, is ongoing at a slow pace due to soil moisture deficits following scarce precipitation amounts from April to mid‑June 2024. Remote sensing data, as of mid‑June 2024, indicates below‑average vegetation conditions (red, orange and yellow colours in VCI map) in the important rice‑producing northwestern and southcentral parts of the country, suggesting unfavourable yield prospects for the early‑planted crops. Weather forecasts point to average to above‑average rainfall amounts in the July to September 2024 period across most of the country. The 2024 mostly irrigated secondary dry season paddy crop is expected to be planted towards the end of the year. Planting of the 2024 main wet maize crop, which accounts for the bulk of the annual production, has been hindered by dry weather conditions, especially in the main producing Battambang province in the northwest. As of mid‑June 2024, official estimates show that the area planted with maize is about 40 percent below the five-year average for the same period. However, if precipitation amounts improve in July and August, plantings could reach an above-average level, bolstered by high domestic prices and strong demand by the feed industry. The 2024 secondary dry crop will be planted early next year.

Rice exports forecast above average in 2024

Rice exports in the 2024 calendar year are forecast at 2.5 million tonnes, up 9 percent from 2023, reflecting ample exportable availabilities from the record output harvested in 2023 and international demand.

Prices of rice at high levels in May 2024

Wholesale prices of rice surged between July 2023 and February 2024, reaching record or near record highs. Increases in cost of production and transport contributed to price increases. Subsequently, prices of rice remained generally stable until May 2024, at levels between 35 and 45 percent higher year on year.

Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

This brief was prepared using the following data/tools:

FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance Sheet (CCBS) https://www.fao.org/giews/data-tools/en/ .

FAO/GIEWS Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Tool https://fpma.fao.org/ .

FAO/GIEWS Earth Observation for Crop Monitoring https://www.fao.org/giews/earthobservation/ .

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) https://www.ipcinfo.org/ .