The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced on the 30th that private-sector rice inventories as of the end of August reached 1.5 million tons, about 1.8 times the level at the end of August last year. This is the highest level for an end-of-August reading since the survey began in 2008, with carryover of the 2025 crop piling up ahead of the new rice season. The ministry compiles and publishes monthly holdings of collectors and wholesalers; the end-August breakdown showed collectors up 570,000 tons to 1.08 million tons and wholesalers up 90,000 tons to 420,000 tons.
Record 1.5 million tons of private rice inventories, 1.8x last year, signals a large supply overhang weighing on rough rice prices.
