Rice crisis contrasts with good grain harvest in the country

Even as Brazil heads for a new record grain harvest, rice is experiencing the opposite – area and production are falling at a time when the cost of production exceeds the price paid per bag. The discouragement of producers in Rio Grande do Sul shows the less visible side of the agricultural boom. In Rio Grande do Sul, which produces over 70% of all Brazilian rice, a 10% drop in the planted area is expected. The president of the Association of Farmers of Dom Pedrito, Edinho Fontoura, summarizes the dilemma faced by producers. “The bag of rice is in the range of R$ 50, but the cost of production reaches R$ 90. The producer knows that they are paying dearly to work, but they do not stop planting because they are persistent.” A survey by the Riograndense Rice Institute (Irga) shows that over 70% of the cultivation areas in the state have been sown, covering 640 thousand hectares, indicating that the forecast of 920 thousand hectares in the 2025/26 harvest will not be met. In the ...