18 Sept 2025
The Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) has urged its member companies to continue purchasing rice and paddy despite declining domestic demand, warning of potential income losses for farmers.
With the harvest season for early-maturing paddy now underway, market demand has slowed, raising concerns across the sector. In a recent statement, the federation advised exporters to maintain procurement and submit a weekly inventory list to MRF headquarters.
According to MRF data, Myanmar exported around 200,000 tonnes of rice per month during April–August of the 2025–26 financial year. The federation has set a target of maintaining exports at 200,000 tonnes in September, before ramping up volumes to 300,000 tonnes per month from October through March 2026.
Neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh and China, remain the federation’s top priority export markets. Despite a sharp decline in global rice prices last month, experts noted that Myanmar’s domestic rice prices are unlikely to experience a significant fall in the short term.
The MRF also called on exporters to strengthen ties with brokers and traders across different regions and to promptly report any challenges related to freight forwarding, rice milling, or export markets. Companies were further instructed to send their weekly business performance reports and inventory details to the federation every Friday via email.