India may possibly import rice from Thailand
Traditional rice exporter India is looking at importing rice from Thailand and Vietnam through diplomatic deals. This would be the first time in 20 years that India imports the grain.Three state-run trading firms last month floated rice import tenders totaling 30,000 tonne and received 18 bids ranging from USD 373 to USD 599 per tonne.
Government officials on Monday said bids submitted for supplying rice to PEC would be valid until November 23. But the validity of bids received by STC and MMTC expired on Tuesday, officials, who did not wish to be named, with global trading firms, which participated in the tenders, said they did not receive any communication either from MMTC or STC.
Although India has ample grain stocks, this year's poor monsoon has raised doubts about the output of summer-sown crops the government on November 3 said summer-planted rice output could record a bigger-than-expected fall of 18% to 69.45 million tonne compared with the previous year. Some private Indian firms have sealed deals to import 10,000 tonne of wheat, for the first time in two years.
Government officials on Monday said bids submitted for supplying rice to PEC would be valid until November 23. But the validity of bids received by STC and MMTC expired on Tuesday, officials, who did not wish to be named, with global trading firms, which participated in the tenders, said they did not receive any communication either from MMTC or STC.
Although India has ample grain stocks, this year's poor monsoon has raised doubts about the output of summer-sown crops the government on November 3 said summer-planted rice output could record a bigger-than-expected fall of 18% to 69.45 million tonne compared with the previous year. Some private Indian firms have sealed deals to import 10,000 tonne of wheat, for the first time in two years.


