The price gap between japonica and indica rice is expected to have room for further widening later
According to statistics from relevant institutions, the policy-based procurement volume of japonica rice this year was higher than the previous year, while the procurement volume of mid-to-late indica rice was lower than the previous year. Even taking into account the factor of increased production of mid-to-late rice, the market circulation volume of japonica rice is still expected to be smaller than that of mid-to-late indica rice. In addition, the mid-to-late indica rice sold through centralized auctions in January will be concentrated in outbound shipments in the near future. It is expected that before policy-based rice enters the market, the market price gap between japonica and indica paddy still has room to widen.
The market price gap between japonica and indica rice was flat compared with last week; on April 1, the procurement price of 2014-produced japonica paddy at grain depots in Hulin area, Heilongjiang, was 3,100 yuan/ton, and the procurement price of late indica paddy in Changsha area, Hunan, was 2,780 yuan/ton, with the price gap between the two places basically stable; the ex-factory price of 2014-produced japonica rice in Hulin area, Heilongjiang, was 4,300 yuan/ton, and the ex-factory price of late indica rice in Changsha area, Hunan, was 4,000 yuan/ton, with the price gap between the two places at 300 yuan/ton, flat compared with last week.
Rice market prices in sales areas were generally stable; as of April 1, the wholesale price of long-grain rice in the Beijing market was about 4,880 yuan/ton, the wholesale price of round-grain rice produced in Heilongjiang in the Hangzhou area was about 5,000 yuan/ton, the wholesale price of japonica rice produced in Jiangsu was about 4,540 yuan/ton, the wholesale price of ordinary Jiangsu japonica rice in the Fuzhou market was about 4,800 yuan/ton, and the wholesale price of ordinary northeast rice was about 5,200 yuan/ton, all basically flat compared with last week's prices.