Export of rice gains strength in the face of high supply

The rice harvest in Rio Grande do Sul advances in an environment of high supply and increasing need for relief in the domestic market. Evaluations by Sergio Cardoso, director of operations at Itaobi Representações, indicate that the 2024/25 harvest ended with 927,885 hectares sown, a volume close to the initial intention, despite the difficulties in recovering the areas affected by floods. In the current season, the state has 849,111 hectares planted, equivalent to about 92 percent of the forecast. Even with the reduction, the sector is dealing with high stocks throughout Mercosur, expanding the availability of rice in the short term. The combination of robust supply, stable domestic demand, and high financial costs increases the pressure on industries and operators, who need to turn over capital quickly and cannot carry stocks for long periods. In this context, exportation moves from being an alternative to a necessity. The sector will need a joint effort to accelerate the ...