The increase in 5,800 hectares in the amount of land planted with rice in 2015 will lead to an increase in local production which will reduce imports required to complete supply of the domestic market by almost 50%.

An article on Laestrella.com.pa reports that Jorge Arango, Minister of Agricultural development, said that “… the country has increased domestic production of rice this year, therefore imports of this grain will be reduced ‘ by nearly half ‘what was imported in previous years. “

“… The drought severely affected the domestic agricultural sector last year. However, Arango stressed that this was not an obstacle to rice farmers sowing 5,800 hectares more than in 2014 and harvesting an additional million hundredweight compared to the previous period. “