Panama rice production hits new low

THE CULTIVATION of rice, a major staple of Panama’s national diet continues to plummet and has reached a record low.

At the end of the 2012-2013 crop season 98,380 hectares of rice were cultivated, a drop of 11,190 hectares from the previous year says a report from the Comptroller General of the Republic.

The decrease is related to the increase in imports of grain, the delay in disbursement of agricultural loans and climatic variations reports La Prensa
"If the country continues to put off the establishment of agricultural policies in the long term. it will be very difficult to face a food crisis ," said Alexander Arauz , a member of the Rice Growers Association of Chiriqui.
"The FAO [United Nations Food and Agriculture Oganization] promotes grain production, but in Panama these recommendations seem to fall on deaf ears, said Arauz .
Authorities recommend that producers focus on competitive products .