Rice and irrigation in Latin America

摘要

The problems of rice production in Latin America do not lie merely in the technical deficiencies of cultivation, but in the overall agricultural development of the region, especially in the price policy of rice, marketing of intra and inter-regional trade, crop zonification, incentives for rice cultivation, and other factors. The increase in rice production for the past two decades has been supported mainly by the expansion of rice cultivation areas, and it is observed that the yield increase rate in the region has been much lower than that of other important cereals, such as wheat and maize. In the event that rice production in Latin America is justified in the future, it would probably be recommendable to improve the productivity and the quality of rice for marketing, rather than expanding the cultivation areas.