Rice grain price falling but …..

Rice prices in Myanmar are falling. However, fall in price is mainly in the price paid to the rice farmers for rice grain. The price of polished rice sold in the domestic market remains high. Current grain price for low grade rice is 250,000 kyat (about US$ 250) per 100 tin (Burmese system for measuring rice and grain, equivalent to 66 sacks), while the price for high grade rice is currently at 450,000 kyat (US$ 450) per 66 sacks. (Rice in Burma is usually sold in sack). This is the price paid to rice farmers by the millers.

Polished rice at the wholesale market is currently at 14,000 to 16,000 kyat (US$ 130 – 150) per sac for low grade rice, while high grade rice is sold at more than 24,000 kyat per sac. Usually, 66 sacks of grain will yield 32 sacks of polished rice after milling. At this rate, 66 sacks of grain (bought at 250,000 kyat would yield more than 500,000 kyat (double the buying price)………