Ecuador will import 91,566 metric tons of hard yellow corn in the first months of next year, in order to supply the national consumption and cover the grass deficit during the first months of 2024. The decision was made after a meeting of the members of the Advisory Council Yellow corn, feed and animal protein producer chain, composed of manufacturers and industry representatives.

This authorization was given after chain unions such as the Association of Balanced Feed Producers of Ecuador (Aprobal), the Association of Balanced Feed Producers (Afaba), the Association of Pig Breeders of Ecuador (Aspe) and the National Corporation of Poultry Farmers of Ecuador (Conave) warned, last Saturday, On November 18, with the announcement that there could be a shortage of grass during February and March 2024, which would threaten the food security of the country. After the advisory council, which was convened by the Undersecretariat for Marketing of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), the producers and industrialists of the corn sector presented their views and analyzes on the approval of corn imports to cover the deficit that the industry has annually, but then no agreement was reached.

Unions of the animal protein chain worried about the lack of authorization to import corn to cover the deficit

Meanwhile, with this recent consensus, it is indicated that these imports represent a drop of 74,537 tons compared to last year, where 166,103 tons of grain were approved to cover the country’s demand. Danilo Palacios, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, pointed out that after a technical inspection carried out on the ground, it was determined that there is a shortage of 91,566 metric tons of corn. “We met with producers and the industry of the corn sector to analyze the needs of the sector and make joint decisions,” said Palacios.

For his part, Joffre Quimis, Manabí’s representative for maize, assured that “this agreement will be fulfilled, and thus the maize sector in the country will benefit”, emphasized Quimis.

Meanwhile, the head of the Ecuadorian Association of Balanced Food (Afaba), Wilson Hidalgo, noted that the decision made was correct, since it benefits the most important chain in the country. “The corn production and industrial chain has the country’s food security in its hands, which is why everyone, producers, industrialists and authorities, must be united,” Hidalgo said. The meeting also discussed topics such as the planned takeover of the harvest on a monthly basis in agreed quantities, the execution of business round tables led by MAG. In addition, it was suggested that imports should be made sustainable due to the maize deficit and that monthly meetings be held in the provinces between MAG and maize producers to find out how national demand is progressing.