Crop Explorer - Commodity Intelligence Reports - Northern South America


Mar 17 2021 | Guyana Rice: Production Ties Record due to New Varieties
Guyana rice production has overcome past inefficiencies and difficulties to develop a staple food industry that pulls in sizeable export returns to the country. In 2020, the rice market generated over US$238 million from rice sales. Despite the pandemic this past season, Guyana improved export sales by 13 percent over the previous season. The 2020/21 Guyana rice crop climbed to a near-record harvested area due to better variety selection, redesigned water management practices, and improved drainage. The harvested area from both rice crops in 2020 was 187,000 hectares (ha), an increase of 5 percent over the previous season and 13 percent above the 2018 season. Estimated yield for 2020 was 4 percent below that in 2019 due to less timely rainfall, and less than 1 percent below the 5-year average. Rough and milled production in 2020 was equal to that in the record production season of 2015/16 (Figure 1) and above that of 2016 through 2019. Production was 1 percent above that in 2019 and 9 percent above the 5- year average.

Apr 30 2020 | Guyana Continues to Improve Rice Quality and Increase Production
After an excellent 2019/20 harvest, rice farmers in Guyana will have access in the coming season to better seed cleaning through an improved facility at the Burma Rice Research Station in Region V (Figure 1). This improvement to Guyana’s rice industry is in addition to recent advances in water management, pest spray programs, variety selection, and fertilizer application backed by good soil sampling. During the recent harvest, Guyana farmers reaped 1.05 million metric tons of paddy rice, nearly equal to their highest production in 2015/16 (Figure 2). The 2019/20 season only had 1 percent less production than the 2015/16 season with milled production topping 683,000 metric tons, greater than 9 percent above the 2018/19 season. The harvested area was 178,000 hectares, 7 percent more than the 2018/19 season. Estimated paddy yield for 2019/20 was 5.90 tons per hectare, which is 2 percent higher than the previous season when fertilizer improvements (more precise fertilizer use based on specific nutrient needs from soil sampling) were heavily implemented. This is expected to continue into the 2020/21 growing season.

Apr 23 2019 | Guyana Rice: Yield Expectations Increase with Improved Varieties
Despite soil fertility issues during the first rice crop (Figure 1) and paddy bug concerns in some regions during the second crop, yield for the 2018/19 season is estimated at 5.81 tons per hectare. This is a 3 percent improvement over last year’s yield of 5.63 tons per hectare.

Feb 8 2018 | 2017/18 Guyana Rice Production Higher than Expected
2017/18 rice production in Guyana is expected to total 928,000 metric tons (mt) on a paddy basis, or 8 percent above 2016/17. Yield is forecast at 5.16 metric tons per hectare (mt/ha) this season, 8 percent above last year’s yield of 4.79 mt/ha. Harvested area is estimated at a total of 180,000 hectares (ha) for both the first and second crops, similar to 2016/17. Guyana produces two rice crops per year. For 2017/18 the first crop was planted from December 2016 through February 2017 and harvested from March through June 2017. The second crop was planted May through July and harvested from September through December.

Mar 28 2017 | Guyana Rice: Production Drops with Problems in First Crop Rice
USDA estimates Guyana’s 2016/17 rice production at 0.560 million metric tons (mmt), down 16 percent from last year’s record production. Both yield and area are estimated lower than last year. Yield is estimated at 4.79 tons per hectare, 13 percent lower than last year’s record. Area is lower by almost 4 percent from last year.

Sep 21 2016 | Palm Oil Growth in Peru Slows as Land Suitability and Sustainability Take Top Priority
Palm is a tree crop suited to cultivation in climatic conditions similar to those of the tropical rainforest. From 1999 to 2009, global production more than doubled. Thirty years ago, palm oil accounted for less than 2 percent but now accounts for 37 percent of vegetable oil consumption worldwide, and palm has displaced soy as the world’s most important vegetable oil. Palm oil is used as a biofuel, for cooking, and in a wide range of other items, including food products, cosmetics, soaps and detergents.

Jul 16 2015 | Colombian Rice Production to Rebound; New Mill in Yopal, Casanare Department
Colombia’s rice production in 2015/16 is expected to be almost 9 percent above last year due to an increase in area harvested of almost 9 percent. Rough, or paddy, rice production for 2015/16 is estimated at 1.95 million metric tons. Recent stability in rice production in Colombia is due to improved pest control, variety use, and crop management, and has stimulated the construction of a new rice mill in the country. Rice area is expected at 425,000 hectares for a milled production of over 1.32 million metric tons. Yields are expected to be about what they were last year at almost 4.60 tons per hectare (T/Ha).

Jun 2 2015 | Guyana Rice Production Expanding
Guyana harvested a record amount of rice in 2014/15. USDA’s May production estimate is 974,000 metric tons (MT) of rough production and 633,000 MT milled. Production has increased rapidly from 555,000 MT rough just four years ago. For 2014/2015, Guyana harvested 195,000 hectares (Ha), up from 136,000 Ha four years ago. In 2014/15, a near record national yield of 4.99 metric tons per hectare rough rice was harvested. Better rice varieties and more land placed into production helped raise production; furthermore, the rice crop generally received favorable rainfall in 2014/15.

Aug 21 2014 | Peru Wheat Production Limited by Competition from Corn and Quinoa
The Peruvian wheat crop for 2014/15 is estimated at 150,000 hectares (Ha) with a trend yield of 1.52 metric tons per Ha (MT/Ha), for a projected production of 230,000 metric tons (MT). Wheat area is estimated to decrease three percent this season from last year. Wheat area growth remains very limited as corn and a fairly new export, quinoa, continue to compete for the same ground. Production is forecast to dip just over two percent for the coming year from the 235,000 MT estimated in 2013/14. Corn for the upcoming season is forecast to be grown on 550,000 Ha with an early forecast yield of 3.27 MT/Ha for a projected production of 1.8 million metric tons (MMT). Corn area is expected to increase almost six percent in the coming year. Corn production is expected to increase five percent during this season, over the 2013/14 production of 1.72 MMT. The country will continue to import both wheat and corn as domestic production is insufficient to cover domestic consumption.

Mar 29 2012 | Ecuador: Recent Flooding Causes Crop Losses in Major Coastal Farming Areas
Heavy rains on March 26, 2012 caused significant damage to croplands in the coastal provinces of Ecuador. According to the country’s National Security and Risk Management office, torrential rains and landslides have resulted in a loss of an estimated 34,000 hectares of crops. The largest losses have been in the provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos, El Oro, Manabí, Esmeraldas, and Loja. Two of the provinces, Guayas and Los Ríos, just declared in a state of emergency due to the recent rains according to the Minister for Coordination of Production, Santiago Leon.

Mar 26 2012 | Peru Rains Affecting over 80 Percent of the Country
Rains on March 10-11 and 13, 2012 hammered southern Peru and northern Chile-regions that have already had heavy rains earlier in February. Many rivers are swollen, homes flooded, bridges down and the rail line between the two countries has been blocked due to mudslides. Area farms are water-logged and will take time to dry out. Peruvian meteorologists suggest that the country is experiencing one of its wettest summers on record. Major flooding in 22 provinces across Peru has affected thousands of hectares of cropland. A state of emergency has been declared with at least 15 people dead (29 injured); 5,550 homeless; and, 49,140 people affected in total.

Mar 26 2012 | Rainy Season in Colombia Begins; Concerns about Flooding
The start of the rainy season in Colombia has begun, and they hope it will not be as bad as last year. Over half the departments where crops are grown are at high risk and under the threat of an emergency due to earlier rains in November and December of 2011.

Feb 28 2012 | Heavy rain and flooding in Guyana
Guyana has been hammered by continuing, heavy rain showers in many of the eastern regions. Starting on January 29, 2012 rain fell continuously for 24 hours. New Amsterdam in Region 6 reported 172.6 millimeters (mm) of rain in that 24 hour period. Other areas reporting over 100 mm in the 24 hours were: Friendship Buxton, Region 4 at 152.3 mm; Enterprise, Region 4 at 125.4 mm; Pine Ground, Region 5 at 138.4 mm; Wash Clothes, Region 5 at 116.2 mm; Bara Bara, Region 5 at 100 mm; Bush Lot, Region 5 at 152 mm; Foulis, Region 5 at 106.0 mm; and, D'Edward Village, Region 5 at 136.6 mm.

Oct 12 2005 | Bolivia: Agricultural Overview
Bolivia is a sparsely populated landlocked nation in South America, with sizable natural resources (minerals, natural gas, forests) and agricultural land. It has a total population of approximately 8.7 million people, and a total land area of about 108 million hectares. Bolivia is nearly self-sufficient in grain production, importing only a modest quantity of wheat on an annual basis.

Jul 12 2005 | Venezuela: Agricultural Overview
Venezuela's innate agricultural production capacity far exceeds current output levels given the vast untapped land and water resources that exist in the central Orinoco plain and in the lowlands of the southern state of Amazonas.

Oct 18 2000 | Central America and Northern South America Switch to Palm Oil
The humid tropical countries of Central America and Northern South America have shown a substantial shift over the last ten years in vegetable oil production, to palm oil and palm kernel from cottonseed and soybeans. Additionally, a review of production using available information from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Guyana, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru shows an increase in overall output late in the decade. The countries of Belize, Panama, Surinam, and the overseas district of French Guiana have little if any oilseed production.


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