Thus, there was a decrease in rice imports: according to AAPA data, cited by Angop, in that period, imports dropped to 270,000 tons this year, compared to 545,000 tons recorded in 2022.
And the forecast is that rice production will maintain this growing trend. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, it is estimated that the increase in production of this cereal will continue in the country, with a forecast of 70 thousand tons next year.
The production of this cereal is, at the moment, guaranteed by 1244 farmers distributed throughout the country, writes Angop, which adds that this is one of the crops that is at the center of the Government's priorities, within the framework of policies aimed at achieving food security.
Overall, agricultural production during the 2023/2024 agricultural year increased by around 13 percent compared to last year, with a production of more than 28 million tons. Regarding the cereal category, more than three million tons were produced (an increase of almost five percent compared to the same period in the previous year).