# Rice: The Coronavirus-Proof Grain?

> DTN reports that COVID-19 has pressured most US farm commodities so far in 2020, with corn, soybeans, cattle, hogs and milk all down sharply by mid-April. Rough rice prices were up about 9% and KC wheat roughly flat over the first months of the year. The IMF projected a 3% global GDP contraction in 2020 and a 5.9% US decline.

- Date: 2020-06-01 · published 2020-06-01T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: macro · region Global · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/4923-rice-the-coronavirus-proof-grain
- Commodities: [Rough Rice](https://feedsoft.ai/c/RICE.md)

## Why it matters

Rice and wheat demand depends mainly on population growth, so it holds up better than feed-linked demand during an economic downturn. This supports relative rice pricing while feed demand weakens.

## Read by commodity

- RICE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| RICE | 2025-05-01 | [Raw Rice](https://feedsoft.ai/events/24742-raw-rice.md) | -1.8% | +3.2% |
| RICE | 2022-06-23 | [Wild 2022 in grain markets sparks 2008 comparisons \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/40978-wild-2022-in-grain-markets-sparks-2008-comparisons-reuters.md) | +0.8% | +4.1% |
| RICE | 2017-08-09 | [India rice shipments slow as stronger rupee lifts export prices \| India rice shipments slow as stronger rupee lifts export prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/69410-india-rice-shipments-slow-as-stronger-rupee-lifts-export-prices-india-rice.md) | +0.8% | +2.6% |
| RICE | 2026-07-17 | [Global Rice Benchmark Surges 20% in Largest Spike Since 2008…](https://feedsoft.ai/events/9565-global-rice-benchmark-surges-20-in-largest-spike-since-2008.md) | +0.8% | +1.2% |
| RICE | 2019-03-22 | [Strong rupee pushes rice prices to seven-month high, dampening exports \| Commodity - Food & Edible Oils - Business Standard](https://feedsoft.ai/events/60167-strong-rupee-pushes-rice-prices-to-seven-month-high-dampening-exports-commodity.md) | -1.6% | -6.0% |

## Sources

- dtnpf.com: https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/article/2020/06/01/rice-coronavirus-proof-grain

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.