FX.co ★ Rice Futures Hover Near 1-Month High

Rice futures are currently trading at approximately $10.50 per hundredweight, nearing their peak since October 17. This price movement comes in response to predictions of a more constrained supply. According to the USDA's November World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, the outlook for U.S. rice for the 2025/26 period indicates lower supplies, unchanged domestic use, and exports, along with diminished ending stocks. U.S. rice production is now forecasted at 207.31 million hundredweight, reflecting a 1% decrease from prior estimates and a 7% decline compared to last year. This drop is attributed to reductions in both yield, at 7,506 pounds per acre, and harvested area, covering 2.762 million acres. On a global scale, the report predicts slightly reduced supplies, slightly increased consumption, more robust trade, and fewer ending stocks. However, major Asian exporters, notably India, are expecting substantial harvests, buoyed by the strongest monsoon in five years.