Reference Date: 15-July-2024

Below‑average plantings for 2024 paddy crop

Planting of the 2024 paddy crop, which accounts for the bulk of the country’s cereal output, was finalized in June. The area planted is estimated below the five‑year average, amid government efforts to promote the cultivation of other crops in response to decreasing rice consumption. Remote sensing data, as of mid‑June 2024, indicate favourable vegetation conditions across most cropping areas (ASI map).

Above‑average cereal import requirements forecast in 2023/24 marketing year

Total cereal import requirements in the 2023/24 marketing year (October/September) are forecast at above-average level of 17.2 million tonnes. Imports of maize, which account for the largest share of total cereal imports, are forecast at above‑average level of 11.6 million tonnes, driven by the strong demand of the local feed industry. Wheat imports are forecast at above‑average level of 5 million tonnes, reflecting the steady demand of high‑quality wheat for milling and of low‑quality wheat for feed.

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/ .