Global rice production is expected to increase to 720 million tonnes (480 million milled), or 3% in 2011, in a recent report released by the United Nation’s FAO. Factors contributing to this growth include improved weather conditions, a shift in imports and government measures to ensure food security.
Asia‘s output will experience a record a 3% growth in 2011 to 651 million tonnes (434 million milled) due to an increase in China and greater yields in Pakistan. The production forecast is also positive in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nepal, the Philippines and Vietnam, according to the FAO.
由于洪水继续影响该国，斯里兰卡的产量估计并不乐观。日本在地震、海啸和核危机后仍深受其害，也下调了产量预估。阿根廷、巴西、哥伦比亚、乌拉圭和委内瑞拉等南美洲国家刚刚开始恢复其主要稻谷收成。预计 2011 年产量为 2920 万吨，比 2010 年增加 9.2%。
In the United States, producers are expected to divert land away from rice into more profitable crops, possibly resulting in a 15% drop in the coming season’s output, according to the report.
Imports are expected to increase globally to 31.8 million tonnes, up 350,000 tonnes from a year earlier. Taiwan, Malaysia and other Asian counties will import more in the coming months as demand advances, according to the FAO. While Bangladesh’s production estimate grew, the country still heavily relies on imports.
报告称，世界各国政府越来越关注粮食安全，努力遏制粮食通胀和增加储备，包括出口限制、进口便利化、零售价格控制和大米分销补贴。预测 2010-2011 年全球稻米利用量将增加 2%，达到 4.6 亿吨（碾米基础）。据粮农组织称，其中约 3.89 亿吨将用于消费，比 2009/10 年度多近 700 万吨。