RICE STOCK

• Total rice stock as of May 1, 2004 was estimated at 2.42 million metric tons, around 194 thousand m.t. (8.7%) higher than last year’s stock volume for the same period. It was also 1.2 percent   higher than the preceding month’s level of 2.23 million metric tons.
• Compared to last year, stock holdings in the households went up by 6.9 percent. In contrast, stock levels in the commercial sector and that of NFA dropped by 0.7 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively.
• All sectors posted higher stock levels as compared to that of the previous month. The commercial sector posted the highest at 19.0 percent.
• As of the reporting period NFA rice stocks were good for 22 days. About 63 percent of the rice stocks were imported. Those of the households and commercial warehouses were good for 48 and 21 days, respectively.

CORN STOCK

• The current total corn stock amounted to 210 thousand metric tons, lower than the  preceding month and same month last year by 6.0 and 7.4 percent, respectively.
• Major stock drawdowns as compared to their month and year ago levels, respectively were observed in the household sector (27.3%) and commercial sector (18.4%).
• Around 46 percent of the current corn stocks were with the households and 53 percent were with the commercial warehouses.
• NFA had no corn stocks reported in both periods.