agriculture

Seeds planted to meet demand for rice

Jorge Fernández/LA PRENSA

Speakers: Agriculture minister Guillermo Salazar (center) and Instituto Mercadeo Agropecuario director Gonzalo Cambefort (left). 1047174

National rice production could be sufficient to meet demand in Panama in 2009, said agriculture minister Guillermo Salazar, provided that nature cooperates with producers and the rice crop is not affected by severe weather or new pests..

“The hectares planted and their performance have increased significantly, and if things keep going as they are, we'll produce 7 million quintals, 1.4 million more than in 2007. That would make us self sufficient,” the minister reported. “Panama will probably not have to import rice in the coming year.” One quintal is equal to 100 lbs.

This year, according to the Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario (Mida), Panama imported 2.6 million quintals of rice, 214,000 of which were part of the normal contingent, 2 million of which were part of the special contingent, and 400,000 of which were for the government-subsidized Compita brand.

Panama produced enough rice to satisfy national demand in the 1970s, but progressively lost the ability to do so in succeeding years. Finally, after the El Niño weather phenomena in 1997 and 2001 and the spinky mite in 2002 and 2003, national rice production had dropped to 60 quintals per hectare.

More recently, many producers decided to abandon the cultivation of rice for lack of liquid assets and profitability.

“With the investments that have been made to improve the quality of planting”---irrigation systems and certified seeds, for example---“we hope to exceed 100 quintals per hectare,” Salazar informed his audience at a recent press conference attended by leading rice producers from throughout the country.

All those producers reported an increase of between 50 percent and 150 percent in the planting and/or production in their respective regions.

“Thanks to the support we've received from the Banco de Desarrollo Agropecuario, agricultural insurance, the Instituto de Mercadeo Agropecuario and the availability of obtaining inputs at lower prices, we have 1,300 hectares this year, 750 more than in 2007, nosotros tendremos este año mil 300 hectáreas, 750 más que en 2007”, said Jaime Abadía, president of the rice growers association in Veraguas.