Importing rice from Colombia to supply the Ecuadorian market would no longer be an option because the price has also increased in the neighboring country, and negotiations are now underway with Argentina and Brazil, said Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Eduardo Izaguirre.

The Ministry indicated last week that the first import will be 30,000 tons, and they are also closely cooperating with Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

With the first import of 30,000 tons of rice from Colombia, the government expects a quintal to sell for $46 in Ecuador

“Colombia was tried in the first place because of simplicity and time, but even there the value has already increased and it would be inappropriate to bring from Colombia when it will have a higher value than what our market needs. We are very careful that these values ​​do not affect either of the two parts of the chain, neither producers nor sellers, nor industrialists,” he said on Tuesday, June 28. UCSG News.

Excluding Colombia, the countries with the best offer would be Brazil and Argentina, “they have the lowest price,” the minister said in another televised interview.

The purchase will depend on what the private company, which will introduce the product, “sees convenient”. “What we’re trying to do is keep it within the price range so it doesn’t generate price swings,” he said.

These are the prices of rice in South American countries

With imports, the retail price is expected to be “around $38.40 per quintal,” which is lower than what was indicated last week ($46).

In response to the rejections of producers who submitted requests for import protection, the minister replied that they would continue. “We need to get things back to their normal state and that’s what we’re going to be looking for with the measures we have to take, we’re going to continue with that.” And that we are also “looking for ways to promote rice planting so that the second half of the year does not have trauma in terms of supply.”

Farmers presented a protection action to “no longer import rice”

Izaguirre stressed that the purchase of international rice is happening because there could be a shortage between July and August. “Our concern is more focused on the months of July – August, as the winter has affected a significant number of hectares of around 20,000 that are under rice cultivation and this could cause a shortage of sorts.”

Farmers question this version. Last week, Alexandra Plúas, from the Front of Agricultural and Livestock Social Organizations of Santa Lucia, said that although that flood happened a month ago, “right now, if they go to the sectors, everything is replanted.” He assured that they are currently on the production scale, that is, that there is “planted rice, rice for planting, rice for harvesting, harvesting and planting again”.