It’s late October in Thailand as we write this. Out in the northeast the Hom Mali paddies have turned from green to gold, the heads are heavy and bent over, and in a few weeks the combines and the hand sickles will be out. If you buy Thai rice, this is the part of the year that sets your prices and your quality for the next twelve months.
We’re De Thai Products 1989 Company Limited, a rice miller and exporter in Chachoengsao, Thailand. We buy paddy through the whole Thai rice harvest season and mill it for buyers worldwide. This guide is what we tell our own customers: when each rice is harvested, when new crop actually reaches the port, what happens to price, and how to time your orders so you get the rice you want at a fair number.
Table of Contents
The Thai Rice Harvest Season in One Paragraph
Thailand has two rice crops. The main crop, sometimes called the wet season or in-season crop, is planted with the monsoon rains from May to August and harvested from October to December. That’s where almost all Hom Mali comes from. The second crop, or off-season crop, is grown on irrigated land, mostly in the central plains, planted around December to February and harvested from March to June. White rice and Pathumthani fragrant rice come from both.
That’s the Thai rice harvest season in short. The details are where buyers make or lose money.
Main Crop: October to December
The main crop is the big one. It covers most of Thailand’s rice area and is mostly rain-fed. Farmers plant when the rains settle in, and the rice grows through the wettest months.
Hom Mali is main crop only
KDML105 and RD15, the varieties behind Thai Hom Mali, are photoperiod sensitive. They flower when day length shortens, which happens in October. So it doesn’t matter when you plant. They head out at the same time and get harvested in November and early December.
That’s why there’s only one Hom Mali crop a year. And it’s why the Thai rice harvest season matters more for Hom Mali buyers than anyone else. If you want new crop aroma, you have to buy from this one window. Our Thai Hom Mali rice 92% purity page explains the grade itself.
Glutinous rice
Most Thai glutinous (sticky) rice, especially RD6 from the north and northeast, is also main crop. It’s harvested around the same time as Hom Mali. See our Thai glutinous rice page.
White rice in the main crop
Plenty of white rice is grown in the main season too, especially in the central plains and lower north. It adds to the big wave of paddy that hits the mills from November onwards.
Second Crop: March to June
The second crop is irrigated. It depends on water in the big dams, so it changes year to year. In a dry year with low reservoirs, the government asks farmers to plant less. In a wet year, the second crop can be large.
Most of what comes from this Thai rice harvest season is long grain white rice and Pathumthani fragrant rice. These varieties aren’t photoperiod sensitive, so they can be grown any time there’s water. Some central areas even get three crops in two years.
For white rice buyers, the second crop is a second chance at fresh supply and often softer prices around April and May. Our white rice 5% broken and parboiled rice lines draw heavily on this crop.
Thai Rice Harvest Season Calendar
| Rice | Planting | Harvest | New crop at port |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thai Hom Mali | May to August | November to December | December to January |
| Glutinous (RD6) | June to August | October to November | November to December |
| Main crop white rice | May to August | October to December | November onwards |
| Second crop white rice | December to February | March to June | April onwards |
| Pathumthani fragrant | Year round with water | Several times a year | Most of the year |
| Parboiled (from white paddy) | Follows white crops | Follows white crops | Most of the year |
Keep this table handy. Most of the buying mistakes we see come from forgetting it.
When New Crop Actually Reaches the Port
Harvest isn’t the same as shipment. After cutting, paddy has to dry. Farmers sell to collectors or mills. Mills dry it further, store it, and then mill to order. For Hom Mali, the first real new crop export lots usually load in December, and volume builds through January.
So if your contract says “new crop Hom Mali”, don’t expect it in October or early November. The first weeks of the Thai rice harvest season are about getting paddy in, not getting rice out.
What Happens to Price During the Thai Rice Harvest Season
Prices tend to follow a pattern, though weather and government policy can break it.
- Before harvest (August to October): old crop stocks are running low. Prices often firm up, especially for Hom Mali.
- Start of harvest (November): new paddy arrives. Farmers who need cash sell quickly. Paddy prices often ease.
- Peak arrivals (December to January): mills have the most choice. This is often the best window for buyers who want new crop and fair prices.
- After harvest (February to April): paddy that’s been held back comes to market slowly. Prices can firm up again.
- Second crop (April to June): white rice gets a second supply wave. White rice prices often soften.
Of course, demand from big importers, exchange rates and freight costs all move the number too. For a sense of current levels, see Thai Hom Mali rice price per ton and Thai white rice 5% broken price per ton.
Weather and the Thai Rice Harvest Season
Thai rice is still mostly rain-fed, so weather runs the show.
- Late monsoon: delays planting and can push harvest later.
- Drought: cuts yields, especially for the second crop, and pushes prices up.
- Floods: central Thailand floods can wipe out paddy close to harvest. 2011 is still remembered for this.
- El Niño and La Niña: dry El Niño years tend to cut output. Wet La Niña years can lift it, unless the rain turns into flooding.
When the season looks rough, buyers who booked early tend to come out ahead. The Thai Rice Department publishes crop information on its official site, and the FAO rice market reports track global supply.
How Harvest Timing Affects Quality
Aroma
Fragrant rice smells strongest right after milling from fresh paddy. The scent fades over months. So Hom Mali bought from the early part of the Thai rice harvest season will smell stronger in your market than the same grade bought in September.
Moisture and breakage
New paddy is wetter. If it’s milled too soon, before it’s dried properly, more grains break and the rice can spoil in transit. Good mills rest and dry the paddy first. That’s one reason we don’t rush the first lots of the season.
Cooking
New crop cooks softer and stickier and needs less water. Old crop is firmer and needs more. Some markets actually prefer aged rice for this reason. Our guide on old crop vs new crop jasmine rice has more on this.
What We Sell Through the Year
Here’s what we can load in each part of the Thai rice harvest season.
| Product | Main spec | Best timing |
|---|---|---|
| Thai Hom Mali rice | 92% min purity, 4.5% broken, 14% moisture | New crop December to March |
| Thai jasmine / Pathumthani | 95% purity, 5% broken | Year round |
| White rice 5% broken | 5% broken, 14% moisture | Year round, softer in spring |
| White rice 25% broken | 25% broken | Year round |
| Thai parboiled rice | 5% broken, sortexed | Year round |
| Thai glutinous rice | 10% to 25% broken | New crop November to February |
| Organic jasmine rice | Certified organic, 92% jasmine | Main crop |
Every lot is tested for moisture, broken percentage and purity before bagging, and we’ll tell you the crop year in writing. Packing runs from 1kg retail bags up to 50kg sacks and jumbo bags, plain or private label.
7 Proven Tips for Buying Around the Thai Rice Harvest Season
1. Book Hom Mali early
Sign your Hom Mali contracts in October or November for December to February loading. The best new crop lots go first.
2. Write the crop year into the contract
“Crop 2026/27” or “new crop” should be in black and white. It stops arguments later.
3. Don’t rush the very first lots
Rice milled from paddy that hasn’t rested can break more and carry extra moisture. A few weeks’ patience pays off.
4. Spread your white rice buying
White rice has two Thai rice harvest season windows. Splitting orders between them evens out price swings.
5. Watch the weather in Thailand
A dry season or a flood is the earliest warning of price changes. If it looks bad, lock in sooner.
6. Plan storage at your end
If you buy a lot of new crop at once, make sure your warehouse is cool and dry. Aroma loss in a hot store wipes out the gain from buying fresh.
7. Keep a regular supplier
Buyers who load with the same mill every month get the first call when good new crop arrives. That’s worth more than chasing the lowest quote each time.
Shipping Through the Season
December and January can be busy at Thai ports, because rice, fruit and other goods all move at once. Booking containers early helps. Our rice shipping guide has general shipping notes, and how many tons of rice fit in a 20ft container covers loading.
For quote types, the ICC Incoterms rules are the standard, and our FOB vs CIF rice price page explains them in plain words.
A Quick Example From Last Season
One of our restaurant supply customers used to order Hom Mali in whatever month their stock ran out. Some months they got lovely fresh rice, some months tired old crop at nearly the same price. Last year we sat down and planned it around the Thai rice harvest season. They booked a large new crop order for January loading and smaller top up orders through the year. Their chefs noticed the difference straight away, and the average price came down too.
Nothing clever. Just buying with the calendar instead of against it.
The Thai Rice Harvest Season This Year
As of late October 2026, the main crop is coming into harvest. Hom Mali cutting will pick up through November. If you want new crop Hom Mali for early 2027, now is the time to talk to us. White rice from the main crop will be available from late November. Read our general Thailand rice exports post for the bigger picture.
The Thai Rice Harvest Season Region by Region
Thailand isn’t one big rice field. Each region has its own rhythm, and if you know them you can read the market better.
The northeast (Isan)
This is Hom Mali country, and the largest rice area in Thailand. It’s mostly rain-fed with little irrigation, so there’s really only one crop. Hom Mali and glutinous rice dominate. Harvest runs from late October into December, with the peak around mid November. When people in the trade talk about the Thai rice harvest season, this is usually what they picture.
The north
The upper north grows a lot of glutinous rice in the valleys, plus some Hom Mali and white rice. The lower north, around Phitsanulok and Nakhon Sawan, has more irrigation and grows white rice in both seasons.
The central plains
The Chao Phraya basin is the rice bowl for white rice, Pathumthani and parboiled paddy. With canals and dams, farmers here can grow two crops a year, sometimes more. That’s where most second crop rice comes from. It’s also the area hit hardest when floods come.
The south
The south grows relatively little rice and mostly for local use. It doesn’t move export prices much.
So when you hear that the Thai rice harvest season has started, ask which region. A good start in the central plains tells you about white rice. A good start in Isan tells you about Hom Mali.
What Farmers Do Between Crops
After harvest in the northeast, fields often sit dry until the next rains. Some farmers plant a short crop of peanuts, beans or vegetables if there’s water. Others work in town for a few months. That’s part of why Hom Mali paddy reaches the market in waves: farmers who need cash sell straight away, and those who can afford to wait hold some back, hoping prices rise.
In the central plains, the gap is much shorter. Farmers burn or plough in the straw and get the next crop in as soon as water allows. That steady cycle is why white rice supply is more even through the year.
Government Policy and the Season
The Thai government sometimes steps in during the main crop. It can offer support payments to farmers, soft loans to hold paddy instead of selling at harvest, or programs to help mills store rice. These can slow the flow of paddy and hold prices up for a while.
It can also restrict second crop planting when dam levels are low. That’s happened several times in dry years, and it cut white rice supply in spring.
None of this is unusual. It just means the Thai rice harvest season isn’t only about weather. Keep an eye on farm policy announcements in October and November, because they shape early season prices.
A Month by Month Buying Plan
Here’s a simple plan we suggest to buyers who take rice all year.
| Month | What’s happening | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| September | Old crop running low | Cover short-term needs only |
| October | Main crop ripening | Agree new crop Hom Mali terms |
| November | Harvest under way | Book December and January loadings |
| December | New crop at mills | First new crop Hom Mali ships |
| January | Peak volume | Good time for larger Hom Mali orders |
| February | Held paddy comes out | Top up white rice and glutinous |
| March | Second crop harvest starts | Watch white rice prices |
| April | Second crop peak | Good window for white rice |
| May | Main crop planting | Plan for the next season |
| June to August | Growing season | Watch rain and policy news |
This isn’t a law. Some years the pattern shifts by a month either way. But buyers who plan along these lines usually get better rice and steadier prices than buyers who order only when the warehouse is empty. Think of the Thai rice harvest season as a calendar you can work with.
Parboiled and Broken Rice Through the Season
Parboiled rice is made from paddy that’s soaked, steamed and dried before milling. Since it’s made from regular white rice paddy, its supply follows the main and second crops. But parboiling takes extra time, so new crop parboiled usually reaches the port a few weeks after new crop white rice.
Broken rice is a by-product of milling. When mills are busy during the Thai rice harvest season, they produce more brokens, and 100% broken rice often gets cheaper. If you buy brokens for brewing, flour or animal feed, the busy milling months are often your best window. See our Thai white rice 100% broken and Thai parboiled rice 25% broken pages.
Questions We Get This Time of Year
“Should I wait for new crop or buy now?” If you need rice in the next six weeks, buy now. If you can wait until January, new crop Hom Mali will be worth it.
“Will prices drop at harvest?” Often they ease a bit for paddy. Export prices depend on a lot more, so we can’t promise.
“Can I lock a price now for January?” Yes, many buyers sign forward contracts in October and November for new crop loading. Talk to us about it.
How the Thai Rice Harvest Season Affects Your Landed Cost
Price at the mill is only part of it. The Thai rice harvest season also nudges freight and port costs. December and January are busy, so container space out of Bangkok and Laem Chabang can get tight and rates can creep up. Some buyers book a few weeks earlier just to secure space at a normal rate.
Then there’s storage at your end. If you bring in four months of new crop at once to catch the best Thai rice harvest season price, you’ll pay to store it. Work out whether the saving on rice beats the warehouse cost. For most mid-size importers, two or three larger orders a year plus smaller top ups is the balance that works.
Finance matters too. Letters of credit take time to arrange. If you want January loading, open the L/C in December, not the week before the vessel. A late L/C is one of the most common reasons buyers miss the best part of the Thai rice harvest season.
Our Mill During Harvest
At our end, harvest months are the busiest of the year. Paddy trucks come in from early morning. Our team checks moisture and grain quality before we accept any load. Wet paddy goes to the dryers first, and we rest it before milling so fewer grains break. Every new crop lot gets its own number so we can track it from intake to your container.
That’s also when we pull samples for buyers who want to taste new crop before committing. If you’d like a sample from this Thai rice harvest season, tell us now and we’ll send it as soon as the first lots are milled.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Thai rice harvest season?
The main crop is harvested October to December. The second crop is harvested March to June.
When does new crop Hom Mali ship?
Usually from December, with volume building in January.
Is there a second Hom Mali crop?
No. Hom Mali only flowers in the short days of late October, so it’s harvested once a year.
Are prices cheaper at harvest?
Often, yes. Paddy prices tend to ease when new crop floods in. But weather and demand can change that.
Can I buy all year?
Yes. We supply white, parboiled and Thai jasmine rice all year, and Hom Mali from stock between harvests.
Do you ship worldwide?
Yes, to any port with regular container service.
Plan Your Next Order With a Thai Mill
Tell us what you buy, how much and how often, and your destination port. We’ll suggest a loading plan that fits the Thai rice harvest season and send a dated offer. See more about us, our quality control, all our products, or read how to import rice from Thailand.
De Thai Products 1989 Company Limited. Email info@dethairice.com, WhatsApp +66 81 034 6390, or use our contact page.
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