Farmers, millers, merchants, companies eye favourable year in exporting rice to Bangladesh under rice quality supervision

Over 30 Myanmar companies are exporting rice to Bangladesh and the farmers, millers, merchants and companies reap proper profits this year in rice exports due to the strict export rice quality control measures of the Ministry of Commerce.
Previously, low-grade rice was included in rice export and the companies that exported quality rice faced losses. Currently, due to the supervision of the ministry concerned, the rice bags contain company logos and claim that they pass the quality control and are high-grade rice to be milled, so Myanmar’s rice export volume increases for its better export quality rice including the ones exported to Bangladesh.
The monsoon paddy is grown in Yangon, Bago (east/west), Ayeyawady regions and other regions and states. Yadanatoe and Manaw Thukha rice enter the local market mostly and the transactions are good. The Bayintnaung rice wholesale centre receives about 100,000 rice bags of Sin Thukha and Yadanatoe daily. As it meets the estimated farming acres of paddy, some regions produce over 100 baskets of monsoon paddy per acre and some produce not more than 70/80 baskets per acre approximately despite their low production rate for the rainfalls. The farmers harvested Manaw Thukha and Yadanatoe successfully and a large amount of Kayin Ma Rice exported to the EU market will enter the Bayintanung wholesale centre by the end of October.
The Sin Thukha and Yadanatoe rice enter the rice wholesale centres in Yangon and two-thirds of rice produced from the Ayeyawady Region are transported to the wholesale centres in Pathein more than to the ones in Yangon, and the permitted companies can export rice direct to Bangladesh via Pathein.
Due to a rise in demand in Bangladesh, the sales of the same type of rice are good in the local market. This year, the rice can be sold in cash or by communicating with banks as the people do not need to wait one week or 10 days for payment, over 30 companies which are permitted to export rice to Bangladesh get solid market shares in the rice export sector.
“It is convenient for all as they can export rice under an instant payment system this year. The Ministry of Commerce also scrutinize the export rice quality and put the company logos on rice bags. Therefore, it can be known if something happens, and it seems a measure to control the quality. The monsoon paddy production rate is fine and the high-grade rice can be exported and so this year is the best time for the farmers and export companies,” said U Than Oo, secretary of the Bayintnaung Rice Wholesale Centre.
In the local paddy market, the price is K1 million per 100 baskets for wet paddy and K1.2 million per 100 baskets for dry paddy. The farmers get good profits and it also makes better profits in the local rice procurement sector and export sector. The government makes arrangements by cooperating with the banks to withdraw the payment after the products are shipped, and it is more convenient for the exporters in exporting rice and broken rice to China, the Philippines, Bangladesh and EU countries without any financial difficulties unlike like previous year.
The country has sufficient rice for local consumption. The rice demand except for Shwebo Pawsan declines in the market. The G-to-G pact between Bangladesh and Myanmar for rice exports benefits the people from the rice industry and the supervision on the export quality of the department concerned also claims Myanmar’s rice quality creates business opportunities for farmers including exporters. — Nyein Thu (MNA)/GNLM