World rice production is expected to touch a record 480.5 million tonnes this year on the back of higher output in Asia, Egypt, Argentina, Mozambique, the US and Russian Federation, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

“The outlook for global rice production in 2011 has improved over the past two months and the latest FAO forecast has been raised by 1.6 mt to 480.5 mt (milled rice basis), 3 per cent up from 2010 and a new record,” the FAO said.

In its last ‘Crop Prospects and Food Situation’ report in June 2011, the FAO had estimated global rice production in 2011 at 476 mt.

The improved output reflects better crop prospects in China, Egypt, Argentina, Cambodia, Mozambique, the Russian Federation and the United States, the FAO said in its latest crop prospects report for October.

The global body expects production in Asia, including India, to rise.

FAO has forecast that production in Asia will increase on the back of favourable growing conditions and attractive prices in all major rice producing countries, particularly Bangladesh, China, India and Indonesia.

India has projected a record 87.1 mt of rice production in the 2011 kharif season (June-October), as monsoon rains were widespread and the acreage under paddy sowing has gone up. Rice output last season stood at 80.65 mt.

Rice in India is mainly grown in the kharif season.

“Moreover, production is expected to rise in Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam,” FAO noted.

However, the output is expected to decline in the Republic of Korea, Madagascar and Pakistan, it said.

“Output in Pakistan is set to recover from last year’s reduced level due to disastrous inundations, despite the recurrence of floods in Sindh province since mid-August and seasonal monsoon floods in several other countries,” the FAO said.

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