00:00Rice farmers have two open problems with the government, and, curiously, both end up
00:05Speaking of the same thing. Money. A fight is over the money that has already been raised over the years for the
00:11sector. The other reason is the money that producers need today to replant. Let's begin.
00:16for the first. The Minister of Agriculture, Indalesio Dangont, opened a review of the
00:20parafiscal resources from rice and announced that he wants to take a forensic look at how they have
00:25implemented and what results they have produced. We are talking about significant resources. According to the
00:31ministry, for more than 15 years auctions were held for imports of US rice
00:35and generated approximately 292 billion pesos. In addition, more than 259 billion pesos were collected.
00:42through the rice development levy. This levy is a mandatory contribution of 0.5% on
00:47The value of the sale of paddy rice. That money feeds the National Rice Fund and is allocated
00:52research, technology, infrastructure and other activities related to cultivation.
00:58Where's the problem? The ministry finds it hard to understand that after so many years
01:02The sector continues to have high costs and low levels of productivity due to the lack of resources.
01:07a widespread use of uncertified seed. The ministry says that over 70% of the cultivated area
01:12He uses this type of seed. Fedarrós responds that the money has been audited and that the investments
01:18They have gone through the appropriate government channels. César Augusto Saavedra, President
01:23The Federation's Board of Directors has said that the union is willing to
01:28The resources are reviewed, and remember that the Comptroller's Office and, when appropriate, the Attorney General's Office
01:33They have conducted reviews. The Federation also maintains that these resources do not fund
01:39Fedarrós as an institution, but goods and services for producers.
01:42Again, research, technology transfers, infrastructure, processing plants
01:48And that's where an interesting discussion arises. Government and union agree that results need to be looked at.
01:54The issue is what each person considers a good outcome from their own perspective. More tons
01:59per hectare, lower costs, less technology, better conditions for selling the harvest.
02:05While that fight remains unresolved, Fedarrós has another grievance. The guild claims that [information] has been sent
02:10Three letters have been sent to the minister requesting a meeting, and still no date has been set. Nor has one been convened.
02:15Once again, the National Rice Council, a forum where the following should be discussed:
02:20Policy decisions for the sector. Jorge Bedoya, president of the Farmers' Association
02:26From Colombia, he drew attention to this and said it was curious that the minister
02:31He has met with industry representatives, with producers, but not with Fedarrós. And there are
02:37a date that makes this even more sensitive. The contract expires in December.
02:42Fedarrós manages these parafiscal resources. The federation hopes that it will be
02:48renewed for another ten years. The ministry still holds that decision, but
02:52While discussions continue about who manages the fund and what results it has produced, the farmers
02:57They are dealing with something much more immediate.
03:01Prices and the weather. In 2025 there were two rice farmers' strikes due to prices. This year the situation
03:07It hasn't been completely resolved either. Added to that was the El Niño phenomenon, and in some regions
03:11Water problems. National data shows a curious situation. In the first half
03:17In 2025, Colombia planted 417,551 hectares of rice. In the same period of 2025, there were
03:24324,554, which is 93,000 fewer hectares. Production fell from 998,837 tons to 876,400.
03:35But the average yield per hectare harvested increased. It went from about 5.61 tons.
03:43per hectare at 5.99. So the reduction in production is closely related to
03:51when planting is taking place. And while the domestic area is falling, imports are increasing.
03:56According to figures from Fe de Arroz, 168,984 tons entered in the first half of 2026
04:04equivalent to Paiseco compared to 126,911 tons in all of 2025. This helps to understand why
04:13The debate about profitability is so important. The minister has said that in certain areas,
04:19Especially in La Guajira, rice is no longer profitable. He even told the producers that
04:25They should not plant rice and should look at alternatives such as cashew. He then specified that his
04:32The recommendation referred to La Guajira and suggested that agricultural activity should be concentrated there.
04:38the crops that actually have the potential to be profitable, according to the conditions of each
04:43territory. Fe de Arroz believes that abandoning rice cultivation has costs for the country and demands
04:48instruments that help to understand price and production cycles. Among them is the
04:53storage incentive, a mechanism that operated for nearly three decades and ended a long time ago
04:59around two years. The logic was to store surpluses during harvests to avoid that
05:04A large supply of rice would put too much pressure on the price farmers received. The guild
05:09It also asks to refinance debts and improve marketing conditions. And that's where we come in.
05:13On a second front in this story, Casanaria. The department represents 54.8% of the area
05:20national rice producer. In July, floods affected more than 13,000 hectares. To this
05:25Months of low prices followed. Between February and July, green padí sold in Yopal for an average of
05:31of 1,264,000 pesos per ton. The ministry acknowledges that this value was below costs.
05:37of production by numerous farmers. The producers accumulate obligations close to
05:41to 470 billion pesos. That's why, last Thursday, the ministry announced a meeting with banks,
05:48mills and suppliers to seek the restructuring of those debts, extend deadlines, facilitate agreements
05:55of payment and prevent farmers from ending up in collection proceedings or losing their assets. The goal
06:00The government's proposal is that they can obtain working capital for planting the first crop.
06:04half of 2027. And that's where the two discussions intersect. Because the country can
06:10They spent months debating whether FEDARROZ managed the parafiscal resources well, whether the government
06:15is he right to question the results or whether the union is right to defend the investments.
06:21Meanwhile, a farmer needs to resolve something much more concrete. Does he have the means to return?
06:25To plant? That question could end up defining how much rice Colombia produces next year.
06:31Because today there are fewer hectares planted, more imports, indebted producers, and areas
06:37Battered by the weather. And if those who stopped planting this year can't do it again either.
06:42By 2027, the discussion will no longer be solely about the profitability of a hectare. It will also
06:47It will be about how much domestic production Colombia will continue to have. If you want to know more about
06:53For that topic, visit the business section of El Espectador at www.elespectador.com.
