Asia rice-markets slow into year-end; Bangladesh awaits India shipments.

Rice markets in major Asian centres remained muted this week, with trades few and far between due to the holiday season and the approaching year-end, while Bangladesh awaited shipments from India as part of a previously announced deal. Bangladesh, which has emerged as a major importer this year after floods damaged its crops, has signed a deal, announced earlier this month, to import 150,000 tonnes of rice from India at US$440 a tonne, Badrul Hasan, head of Dhaka’s state grains buyer. Another deal with Thailand to import 150,000 tonnes of parboiled rice at US$465 a tonne could be signed next week.