REUTERS – Indian rice prices fell this week as the rupee hit a record low though demand from African nations remained steady, while Vietnamese prices held steady near a eight-month high.

“The rupee has been very volatile over the past few weeks. Exporters adjusted prices this week to factor in its fall,” said a Kolkata-based dealer.

India’s five per cent broken parboiled variety was quoted at USD367-USD371 per tonne, down from USD371-USD376 last week, while the five per cent broken white rice was priced at USD361-USD366 per tonne this week.

Earlier this week, India’s government said it aims to procure 46.45 million metric tonnes of new-season rice from domestic farmers.

Vietnam’s five per cent broken rice was offered at USD455-USD460 per tonne yesterday, unchanged from a week earlier when it hit its highest level since early January , according to the Vietnam Food Association.

“Trading activity is slow as supplies are tight,” said a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City.
Farmers in the Mekong Delta provinces have nearly completed sowing for the autumn-winter crop, traders said.

Thailand’s five per cent broken rice remained steady at USD355 per tonne, traders reported.

“Price could go even lower, the situation this year is bad – customers are delaying decisions waiting for prices to go down, only buying what’s needed,” said a Bangkok-based trader.

“Supply in places like India is strong, coming out at the same time.”

Bangladesh is expected to double rice imports to 1.2 million tonnes in 2025-26, up from an earlier estimate and slightly higher than the 1.1 million tonnes brought in during 2024-25, according to a report by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Domestic rice prices in Bangladesh hit record highs in July, with the average retail price of coarse rice reaching USD0.47 per kilogramme, up 12 per cent from a year earlier.

Elsewhere, Indonesia is forecast to produce 31.04 million metric tonnes of rice in the first 10 months of 2025, up 12.16 per cent from last year, the country’s statistics bureau said.

Published Date: September 5, 2025