Rice export regulation by COVID-19 and countermeasure in SEA countries

March, April 2020

Note: This information is collected by AFSIS through related organizations and media.

For more information, please contact the policy department in each country.

Indonesia

        The government announced Indonesia has enough food supplies to last until August, which includes the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan from April to May when demand will peak. Indonesia keeps stockpiling around 3.5 million tons of rice, and we expect around 22 million tons greater than the latest harvest. 

Cambodia

        The Cambodia’ s government suspends rice exports starting from April, 5 to ensure local food security during the coronavirus crisis, although Cambodia is not a major rice exporter, exporting only about 500,000 tons a year according to government figures. (05/04/2020)

Malaysia

        The government acted early to secure rice export contracts until May 2020 from Vietnam even though it was at a high price.  Furthermore, the government announced the next step was also to purchase rice from other countries including Pakistan, India, Myanmar and Thailand. 

Myanmar

        The government is temporarily suspending the issuance of rice export permits to ensure domestic rice sufficiency during the COVID-19 outbreak. By statistics, the rice sufficiency 2020 is about 125% even if it is calculated without the productivity of recent dry season rice.

Lao PDR

        - No information -

Philippines

      The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry issued Memorandum Circular No. 20-08 that allows export-oriented companies to operate during the Enhanced Community Quarantine to ensure unhampered movement of cargo.

       The government assured that the country has enough rice stocks for the next four months. However, the government is also proposing to import 300,000 metric tons of rice to ensure food security in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

        As of 03 April 2020, the Secretary of the Philippine Department of Agriculture said that Vietnam reaffirmed commitment its existing supply contracts with the Philippine importers, more than a week after they decided to cut down on its exports to ensure a stable supply for its own people. A total of 1.25 million metric tons of rice that comprises 90 percent of 1.38 million metric tons that has yet to be delivered and the remaining 10 percent of 1.38 million metric tons would come from Thailand and Myanmar at five percent each.

Thailand

        There is no new rice policy about rice export regulations based on domestic consumer demand accounting for just 50% of total production.

Vietnam

        The Vietnam’s government has set a rice export quota of 400 thousand tons per month in April and May to ensure the food security of the country due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a replaced measure of export ban on rice with and export quota. (11/04/2020)

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http://www.aptfsis.org/uploads/normal/Knowledge Bases 2020/Export regulation by COVID-19_2020.pdf