According to data from the US Department of Agriculture, Myanmar is the world’s fifth largest rice exporter, selling more than 2 million metric tons of rice per year.
Last month, India banned exports of non-basmati white rice, reducing supply to the global market by about 10 million tonnes, or 20 percent.
“Myanmar is not a big player in the rice market like India or Thailand, but the restrictions are being imposed at a time when supplies are tight,” said a Mumbai-based dealer of a global trading house.