Rice: production would fall by 18% despite maintaining good yields

(NAP) The Argentine rice campaign faces a scenario that combines satisfactory yields with a marked drop in total production, estimated at 18% compared to the previous cycle. This situation does not respond to a problem of productivity in the plots, but to a series of economic and climatic factors that conditioned the sowing from its beginning, according to a report by the Entre Ríos Cereal Exchange. In the provinces of the Litoral, the main driver of this crop, producers report that average yields remain firm, with grain qualities that meet market demands. Plots in provinces such as Entre Ríos and Corrientes showed remarkable plant health and grain quality, exceeding in several cases 7,500 kg/ha. However, the reduction in the planted area was decisive. The increase in operating costs, mainly diesel and electricity needed for the irrigation system, forced many producers to reduce their hectares or directly turn to other crops with lower financial demand. These difficulties were ...