Browse Data and Analysis

Post forecasts higher Burma’s rice export in November in anticipation of active demand from China and EU countries during harvest of the new crop.

There are no significant developments to convey since the previous report from October 2020. Although Burma (also called Myanmar) does not yet have a comprehensive biosafety legislation, the final version of the National Biosafety Framework and Biosafety Guidelines are completed and pending approval.

Saudi regulations allow the importation of biotech plant products, but they are required to be labeled if they contain more than one percent genetically engineered (GE) plant ingredients.

Saudi Arabia is a 20th largest importer of U.S. food and agricultural products in the world, with direct U.S. exports of $1.23 billion in 2020. Return to semi-normal living conditions are invigorating U.S. agricultural exports to the Kingdom as supported by the U.S. Customs data for January – August 2021 that show 16 percent increase compared to the same period in 2020.

Saudi Arabia’s barley imports for the first six months of MY2021/22 (July – Dec. 2021) is estimated at 2.8 million metric tons (MMT), a reduction of 30 percent compared to the same period last year.

Post forecasts Burma’s rice export lower in October due to the continued closure of all border checkpoints along the Burma-China border, poor demand from African and EU countries, and high shipping costs.

The military coup continues to negatively impact Burma’s economy, and the value of the Myanmar Kyat hit record lows in September. Arriving shipments, however, are being cleared and are not facing many clearance challenges.

As a result of millions of religious pilgrims, foreign workers, and a developing tourism industry Saudi Arabia has a large and resilient HRI sector.

Post forecasts Burma’s rice exports lower in September due to the continued closure of all border checkpoints along the Burma-China border, poor demand from African and EU countries, and high shipping costs.

In 2020, Post estimates poultry production in Saudi Arabia was 900,000 metric tons (MT) with that total jumping to 910,000 MT in 2021 based on official data released by the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) as well as discussions with major poultry producers.

Post forecasts lower rice exports in August due to the closure of all border checkpoints along the Burma-China border and poor demand from African and EU countries.

Burma’s corn production is estimated at 2.57 million metric tons in both MY 2020/21 and MY 2021/22 due to high price incentives.