In June, world rice prices declined slightly by 1.2% on average, influenced by stable prices in India and Pakistan, offsetting sharper declines in Thailand and Vietnam. In the Western Hemisphere, prices also fell. The downward trend in world prices is set to continue, due to a slowdown in import demand. Buyers are not rushing to the market, as they know that stocks are abundant in exporting countries. Only African demand remains buoyant and will continue to stimulate the market, offsetting the drop in Asian demand, particularly from Indonesia. Furthermore, export supply remains in surplus, and prospects for good harvests in 2025/2026 will continue to put pressure on world prices, at least until late 2025 and early 2026. World production should increase by 1% in 2025 to 836 Mt (555.6 Mt in milled basis). Meanwhile, world trade is expected to rise by 2% to a record 60.8 Mt. In June, the OSIRIZ/InfoArroz index (IPO) declined by 2.3 points to 194.6 points (base 100=January 2000) from 196.9 points in May. Early July, the IPO index continued to weaken, settling at around 190 points.