As happened on Friday (read the latest analysis), demand seems to be more interested in purchasing in the sessions at the beginning of the week, despite the busy holiday period. Piedmontese price lists remain unchanged but the greater interest from rice mills seems likely to lead to growth in prices in the near future, also due to a less than proactive offer.
POSSIBLE GROWTH FOR LONG A FROM PARBOILED
In particular, it is the long A parboiled ones which, after a period of contraction in prices, seem to be more interesting for rice mills. In the trading rooms there has been talk again of valuations above €45/q gross today on the list. What has been stated in recent months does not change, the transferable and expected availability is abundant, but the prices reached after the recent drops have stimulated buyers also in relation to the trend of the long B market. These rices are partly marketed in the parboiled segment once processed but today they are less competitive on an economic level, leaving a growing space for the long A. The market for the more valuable grains is a little more stagnant, not listed in the Piedmontese price lists but stable at around €50/q gross expressed elsewhere.
The long B market is still in excellent shape based on €55/q gross on list. On the contrary, the low demand for rebar continues, now generalized to all sectors. At these prices even the rice growers do not seem willing to sell, resulting in very limited trade with the appearance of the nominal wording for all the items on the Vercelli price list, except Selenium. This rice continues to have a slightly larger market due to current and expected shortages in availability. The S. Andrea and Baldo groups are stable, adhering to the official prices, with few trades for little salable goods. Demand is growing in the risotto market, especially for the Roma and similar groups from Carnaroli. The first trades at €55/q gross on the list, like the Arborio group for which lots with optimal product quality (rare) manage to obtain €57/q gross.
HIGH PRICES AT CUN CONSUMPTION
Similar ones are seeing growing buyer interest but remain at the unrewarding valuations seen recently, between 50 and 52 €/q gross. The few Classico lots also manage to obtain something more than the official €60/q gross but it is now a niche market, due to availability and interested buyers. Returning to similar products, today’s price is the result of a placement that has been slow for over a year now, combined with an abundant harvest for the segment. We delve deeper into the topic with Stefano Pezzoni, vice-president of the Milan granaria.
«The increase in prices on the shelves, which occurred last year, never really abated for risotto rice. This has distanced consumers from more expensive rice, also accustoming them to using less valuable grains for risotto to cope with inflation. For Carnaroli this was added to a greater production than usual. It must be considered that although the raw material has decreased in cost, this does not apply to all the other expenses that the rice mills have to face, but there has also been a lack of courage to bring the price lists back.»
«BASMATI THE BEST SELLING RICE IN THE SUPERMARKET»
«In general – continues Pezzoni -, the industries continue to withdraw product consistently, maintaining balance in purchases and on the market and having to deal with a consumption that is mostly contracted for Italian rice. The most penalized rices on the price list are those where the most was produced in the last campaign.
For the “indicas”, the greatest interest arose from delays in the arrival of foreign goods, due to the known difficulties on the main commercial routes. These have created a growing demand from all over Europe, which has stimulated rice mills to purchase, even in the future as demonstrated by long-term agreements. Furthermore, consumption is increasingly interested in this type of rice, which is easier to use. In large-scale retail trade, consumers are primarily looking for Basmati in Italy too, certainly a different rice from our long B but which demonstrates a retail demand more similar to this sector than to risotto rice.»
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