Rice is a fundamental element in the diet of millions of people around the world.

Guillermo O’Brien, president of the Rice Growers Association (ACA), told La Mañana that when the United Nations declared October 31 as the International Rice Day, it highlighted what "rice represents for global food" as "an energy source and more than 50% of the daily food of the world's population." Rice "is a very important player, even though we are in a region of the world where we may not perceive it for cultural reasons," he pointed out. "In Uruguay, about 9 or 10 kilos per inhabitant are consumed per year, but in Asia, where 95% of the world's rice is produced and consumed, the consumption per person is 80 or 85 kilos per year. That shows the relevance this cereal has on the planet. There is no doubt that it forms part of the basic diet of millions of people, and that is how it should be valued," he emphasized. Here in Uruguay "there must be many who think they eat a lot of rice, but in Asia they eat ten times more." And not only in that part of the world, "in Central ...