RICE: The U.S. 2012/13 rice crop is estimated at 199.5 million cwt, up 0.9 million from the previous

estimate. Average yield is estimated at a record 7,449 pounds per acre, up 32 pounds per acre from

last month, and an increase of 382 pounds per acre from 2011/12.

Harvested area is estimated at 2.678 million acres, up 1,000 acres from the previous estimate. Long-grain rice production is estimated at 144.2 million cwt, up 4.3 million from last month, and combined medium- and short-grain production is lowered 3.4 million to 55.3 million. Rice imports for 2012/13 are unchanged from last month.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (NASS) Rice Stocks reported total rough rice stocks at

147.6 million cwt as of December 1 and total milled stocks at 6.9 million (9.8 million cwt on a roughequivalent basis). Total rice stocks on a rough-equivalent basis are 157.4 million, up 1 percent from a year earlier. Long-grain stocks as of December 1 are estimated at 96.7 million (rough-equivalent basis) and combined medium- and short-grain stocks at 51.4 million. 

Rice 2012/13 domestic and residual use is unchanged at 125.0 million cwt. Long-grain domestic and

residual use is projected at 94.0 million, up 1.0 million from a month ago. Combined medium- and

short-grain domestic use is lowered 1.0 million cwt to 31.0 million. The all rice export projection is

raised 1.0 million cwt to 106.0 million, all in the long-grain class, up 4 percent from the preceding year.

The pace of exports and sales of long-grain rice have been brisk based on Census data through

October and U.S. Export Sales data through early January. Long-grain exports have been particularly

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