A report from the regional offices of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) throughout the country revealed that more than 500 hectares of rice have been harvested to date out of 52,736.5 hectares (ha), which have been planted by some 1,031 producers, which represents 59% of what was programmed.
According to the institution’s National Director of Agriculture, Reinaldo Solís, 4,117 hectares were planted this past week. He stated that the province of Chiriquí registers the highest percentage of sowing with 29.2%, (15,413 hectares with 483 producers), followed by East Panama, with 19.5% (10,272.4 ha of 107 producers), Los Santos 13% (6,832.7 ha of 138 producers), Darien with 12% (6,346.8 ha with 61 producers).
Likewise, the province of Veraguas has a planting percentage of 11.6% (6,113.2 ha of 117 producers), Coclé 9.2% (4,851.86 ha of 86 producers), Herrera 5.2% (2,757.5 ha of 37 producers) and Panamá Oeste 0.3% ( 150 ha of 2 producers).
He explained that in what is planned to produce rice in the country for the agricultural year 2022-2023 there are some 90,000 hectares by 1,443 producers with a harvest projection of 429,998 MT, that is, 9,459,950 quintals, with an average yield of 105 quintals per hectare.
On the other hand, Gabriel Araúz, from the New Association of Rice Producers, said that “there is enough grain to supply the national market and to bag first-class rice, and that fear of a shortage of rice in the country should not exist because are in full harvest in the province of Chiriquí”.
