“So far, we have managed to harvest 83% of the harvest”, says Velho. “The remaining 17% are concentrated in the central region of the state, the most impacted by floods. There, there is around 40% left to complete the harvest.”
Despite the delay, Velho highlights that the areas already harvested showed good results.
“The 83% harvested so far has had good productivity, which guarantees a significant volume of rice”, he states. “Even with the difficulties in harvesting the remainder, Rio Grande do Sul should record a harvest of more than 7 million tons”, he adds.
The president of Federarroz recognizes the logistical challenges in the central region of the state. “Logistics is a temporary problem, especially in the areas most affected by floods,” he says. “However, connections with large centers via BR 101 are normal, which guarantees the flow of production to other regions of Brazil.”
Velho highlights that there was an 8% increase in the planted area, both in Rio Grande do Sul and in other regions of the country. “There is no reason to be alarmed regarding domestic supply,” he says.
Before the storm, the estimate was that the state would harvest 7.5 million tons of rice this year. Brazil consumes approximately 10 million tons annually.
“Our priority at the moment is to help producers affected by the floods and quantify the damage in the area that has not yet been harvested.”
Lula talks about importing cereal
This Tuesday (7), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that, if necessary, Brazil will consider importing rice and beans to compensate for crop damage.
“With all this rain, it seems that the harvest really [do arroz] in Rio Grande do Sul it is delayed. If necessary to balance production, we will have to import rice and beans to ensure that the Brazilian people have access to these foods at a fair price in relation to their salaries,” he stated.
