BRASILIA, Brazil – To avoid a possible increase in the price of rice, the Brazilian National Supply Company (Conab) will purchase already processed and packaged product on the international market.
Minister of agriculture and livestock, Carlos Favaro, announced, this is one of the consequences of the floods in Rio Grande do Sul, a state that accounts for 70 percent of national rice production.
“One of the measures already being prepared is a preliminary measure allowing Conab to make purchases of about 1 million tonnes, but this is not to compete. Conab is not going to import rice and sell it to wholesalers who are buyers of farmers’ produce. The first thing to do is to avoid a shortage,” the minister added.
The temporary measure depends on whether the National Congress approves a legislative decree that recognises the state disaster in Rio Grande do Sul and, as a consequence, suspends the fiscal constraints imposed by legislation to expand the budget.
The first phase of the auction for Conab, a federal state-owned company, will be for 200,000 tonnes of rice to be imported from neighbouring Mercosur countries such as Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, and possibly Bolivia. “If we import quickly, we can keep (the price) stable,” he guaranteed.
The remaining volumes, up to a total of one million tonnes, will be imported according to market assessments. This quota can be increased if necessary, the minister assured.
This is reported by Brasil 247, a partner of TV BRICS.