Prices of rice dip in Asia as demand eases for India variety, Vietnam harvests peak.

Rice export prices slipped this week across most Asian hubs, with easing demand weighing on rates in India, and a peaking harvest hurting Vietnamese rates, although inquiries from Bangladesh could trigger fresh activity. In India, rates of the 5 percent broken parboiled variety eased by $3 per ton to $419-$423 per ton, although lower supplies limited the downside. Demand from African and Asian buyers remained weak, even at the lower price, said an exporter based in Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.