RPT-Asia Rice-Thai drought raises supply fears, Bangladesh reels under floods

(Repeats with no changes)
* Jump in local paddy rates drive up Indian export prices
* Vietnamese rice shipments likely to fall in July - traders
* Demand for Thai rice flat- traders

By Eileen Soreng
BENGALURU, July 25 (Reuters) - Drought conditions in
Thailand stoked concerns of a drop in supply even as a strong
baht kept export prices for the Thai variety higher than Asian
competitors this week, while floods wreaked havoc on crops in
Bangladesh.
While prices for Thailand's 5% broken
rice RI-THBKN5-P1 eased to $390-$395 a tonne free-on-board
Bangkok on Thursday from last week's $401-$402, they were still
more expensive than rates in other hubs.
Demand for Thai rice remained flat, traders said.
Meanwhile, a drought in more than a dozen provinces has
stoked worries over supply, with the Meteorological Department
reporting rainfall in the main rice-growing regions was the
lowest in 10 years.
"The drought situation is raising market concern over
supply," a Bangkok-based trader said, adding: "but there is not
yet a shortage in actual supply so far."
The Thai government asked farmers in drought-hit areas to
delay rice planting as pumping of water from reservoirs for
irrigation threatens household supplies. Thailand's rice exporters lowered their target for annual
exports to 9 million tonnes from 9.5 million, after a sharp fall
in the first half. In Bangladesh, floods have submerged more than 50,000
hectares of paddy fields, as per a preliminary assessment by the
agriculture ministry.
"We will get a clear picture of the extent of the damage
once the water recedes," a senior official said.
This could be a major blow to the country at a time when
farmers are unable to secure fair prices for produce, with no
fresh overseas deals in sight.
In top exporter India, 5% broken parboiled variety
RI-INBKN5-P1 rose to $381-$384 per tonne from last week's
$374-$377 as paddy prices jumped even though demand from buyers
in Asia and Africa was muted.
Exports of white rice have almost stopped, while shipments
of the parboiled variety have dropped sharply due to higher
paddy prices, said an exporter based in Kakinada in the southern
state of Andhra Pradesh.
Meanwhile, below average monsoon rains have raised concerns
over output of summer-sown crops. In Vietnam, 5% broken rice rates RI-VNBKN5-P1 were
unchanged at $350 per tonne.
"Demand for Vietnamese rice remains moderate with most of
the new orders coming from Philippines and Malaysia," a trader
in Ho Chi Minh City said.
Traders said shipments from Vietnam in July could fall
significantly. Preliminary data showed 194,400 tonnes will be
loaded at Ho Chi Minh City ports in July, versus 311,700 tonnes
in June.
"While prices of the regular 5% broken rice stayed flat,
prices of jasmine rice have climbed to $500-$505 per tonne from
$490 last week due to tight supplies," another trader said.