Farmers continue to criticize rice imports. They ensure that they have enough production to supply consumption. This was said on Wednesday, June 28, at a press conference in Daule, where farmers met to confirm their position.

Producer Milton Barzola said they currently have 90,000 hectares of rice ready for harvest. “We have between now and December to spend.”

Rice is also grown in Colombia and would change import plans, Brazil and Argentina are among Ecuador’s options

This version was ratified by Freddy Placencio, representative of the producer Los Ríos, who said that more than 30,000 hectares of grass had been planted, so he saw no need for imports. “I call on my brothers from Ecuador not to worry, because we have rice for the whole year, the minister (of agriculture and livestock, Eduardo Izaguirre) should worry about how we will get the surplus,” he said.

While the producers expressed their refusal, Izaguirre indicated in the morning that importing rice from Colombia would no longer be an option because the price in the neighboring country has also increased, and negotiations are now underway with Argentina and Brazil.

Producer Rubén Villamar de Daule said rice imports from Brazil are inconsistent. “Although it is true that rice in this country is mutagenic, it has a lot of technology, it is at least five years ahead of Ecuador, it is transgenic and must be treated with glyphosate, this is a serious and serious inconsistency because their production is greatly increased by genetically treated rice, which is forbidden to plant and grow here in Ecuador”, he emphasized.

How much rice is sold in shops, markets and supermarkets

Placencio indicated that “in order to import rice, the president must talk and take inventory with the producers because we know how many hectares we are planting and how much we will produce.”

The president of the Frente de Organizaciones Sociales, Agrícolas y Ganaderas, Jorge Suárez, said that if they allow the purchase of rice abroad, “every year the industrial sector will use the excuse of coming every winter to bring us imported rice from any country. country, so there is no import of rice because we have to fight for our rights”.

Farmers also call on the authorities to implement “rigorous control” in order to pay them at the official price, because they fear that it will happen as in 2021, that they went “on the road” because they were paid $18 and $20. All farmers are bankrupt, this rice import problem, if we definitely do not meet in all governments, we will have problems”, he asserted.