Ecuador will export 60,000 tons of rice to Colombia until June, in December it will reach 99,000 tons

The export of Ecuadorian rice to Colombia is part of a memorandum of understanding between the two nations

From this week until next June, Ecuador will export60,000 tons of riceTo Colombia, theMinistry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).

This is the first of two stages, with which until the end of the year they are planned to export a total of99,000 tonsof rice to the neighboring country, as part of theMemorandum of understandingthat both nations maintain for annual quotas. The second stage will begin next November.

In 2020 the export quota within the memo was 95,494 tons.

This export reaches a few days after the summer harvest begins and will allow stability in the price of grass in the domestic market, since it will avoid oversupply. This represents an important economic benefit for producers, said the MAG, which explained that the evacuation of rice surpluses, via exports, is one of the pillars of the strategy for this sector.

In Ecuador the average rice production is5.28 metric tons per hectare, lower in a35%to neighboring countries like Peru. The main producing provinces are Guayas and Los Ríos.

Ecuador has maintained sustained growth in exports in recent years, by passing27,094 tons in 2019, a42,402 in 2020.On the other hand, the commercial agreement with the European Union (EU) has allowed an export quota of 5,000 tons for this product to the countries of that community.

In addition, the MAG and the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries work on access to other countries such as Mexico. Although to a lesser extent, other destinations for Ecuadorian rice are the United States, Spain and Italy.