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Abstract
Rice is one of the world’s most widely cultivated and consumed crops, and the efficient operation of the rice market is a critical concern for global food security. From 1991 to 2021, the share of rice used for animal feed and industrial use increased from 4.6 to 7.6 percent. Broken rice (a byproduct of milling) is sold at a lower price than full grain rice for direct consumption, animal feed, or for industrial use. From 2020 to 2022, China more than tripled the volume of broken rice imports (largely for use in animal feed) when prices surged in global corn and wheat coupled with low broken rice prices from India. In 2022, India banned exports of broken rice, rice prices rose and China cut imports back to pre-2021 levels. A potential exists that increased demand for broken rice for feed and industrial use could affect importing countries that depend on broken rice for food. The report authors did not find this potential to be the case in 2021–22. They examined recent broken rice trade fluctuations in detail and analyzed related shifts in rice policy and consumer preferences, based on multiple sources of trade data.