The rice harvest for the 2021/22 harvest began this week in the north of the countryin Mones Quintela, Artigas, where the Pinczak family started the rice harvest that was planted in September.
Karol Pinczak, producer of that family who has been working in the rice sector for more than 30 years, told The Observer that There are very good prospects for this harvest. As explained in Mones Quintela, the crops did not have major problems due to lack of rainfall, but “There is a lot of area in the north where the water deficit is very high and 10% of the planted area in the north of the country has serious problems due to lack of water”.
As he said, in some farms, water consumption increased by 20% in some farms during this exercise, due to water deficit. The luminosity was very good, he indicated, but the high temperatures had repercussions and there was a greater evaporation, he highlighted.
“It didn’t rain almost at all here”, highlighted the producer, something that has happened and in a good way in other parts of the national territory.
A new rice harvest begins ~ The 2021/2022 rice harvest is over ?
Mones Quintela, Artigas??? pic.twitter.com/A7kMXh6Esf
– ACA (@ACAoficial) February 2, 2022
The harvest began on 50 hectares, in a farm where they planted 300 hectares. Total, this family that produces in different fields, planted for this harvest 1,200 hectares. Per year they usually plant between 1,200 and 1,500 hectares per year depending on the availability of water.
The producer highlighted that the harvest began in the area where the 2019/20 harvest was launched in 2020, with the presence of government authorities, on the same day that the first cases of covid-19 were detected in the country ( a March 13).
Karol Pinczak
The Pinczak family planted 1,200 hectares of rice for this harvest.
From sugar cane to rice
Years ago the Pinczaks were dedicated to planting sugar cane, but in the 1990s they left that field and switched to rice production. The rice they produce is sent to the Samán firm. They are also dedicated to livestock and soybean production.
“In rice we started with a very small area, but we kept growing. This is our 31st harvest,” said the producer.
The new harvest 2021/22 begins, many successes to all producers in the country. Uruguay, rice country. @FacuPinczak @KarolEric pic.twitter.com/SzBWlxtJN9
– Alejandro Pinczak (@pinczak8) February 2, 2022
commented that the rice crop is generally in very good condition, but it is still too early to estimate yields. “The rice looks very good, there are very good prospects,” she said.
As he said, there is a bit of uncertainty about what will happen to rice sales, due to logistical problems and since costs have increased, mainly maritime transport.
“Last harvest was excellent, the best in history, but we came from five or six years of extremely high costs and low prices. This year the costs went through the roof, the equation is not going to be as good as we hoped,” he said. .
A harvest with area growth
From the Rice Growers Association (ACA) it was highlighted that most of the work to install the crop occurred on an optimal date. Sowing was carried out during October and in the first 15 days of December.
Some 480 producers participated in this campaign, a figure similar to that of the previous year, in which an approximate volume of 1,350,000 tons and a record productivity of 9,445 kilos per hectare were achieved.
