Rice mills have more than 90,000 tons of rice and the supply is guaranteed until the end of the year

In light of the increase in the price of rice on the domestic market, the Vice Minister of Trade and Internal Logistics, Gróver Lacoa, reported that rice mills have more than 90,000 tons of rice, which guarantees supply to the domestic market until the end of the year.

Since Monday, September 2, the Government began to control and supervise rice production. State technicians visited the main rice mills located in the municipality of Montero.

“We have observed a stock of more than 90,000 tons of rice. According to statements made by the owners of the rice mills themselves, the supply of this product is fully guaranteed until the end of the year, until the new harvest,” said the authority.

Lacoa said that since there was a diesel supply problem the price of rice rose in several supply centers; However, despite the fact that fuel supply has normalized, the cost of the product remains high.

Given this situation, operations will continue to regulate prices and new production.

Next week, meetings will continue with rice producers to establish the price level for the grain in the market.

“We have rice based on consumption, we will not lack it until the beginning of the next harvest and what we do have to control is that, precisely, the distribution chain does not speculate and, above all, that rice does not escape from the country to neighboring countries,” said the vice minister.

In turn, the Vice Minister of Defense of User and Consumer Rights, Jorge Silva, denounced that There is a “speculative wave of prices” that caused the quintal of rice to increase by more than Bs 100.

Among the reasons is also the smuggling of the product to Peru, Brazil and Argentina.

To improve control, he announced that in the coming days a decree will be discussed to strengthen the fight against smuggling of products, which will allow everything seized to be delivered to the Food Production Support Company (EMAPA) for marketing.

“What is the purpose of this regulation? To carry out controls on the movement of products, especially in border areas, seize that production, hand it over to Emapa so it can be sold at a fair price to consumerss”, Silva explained.