MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil buys half of Argentina's growing rice exports

Argentina in the first ten months of 2006 exported 376.000 tons of rice valued at 98 million dollars US dollars, half of which to Mercosur partner Brazil, which is also its main trading partner.

SENASA, Argentina's phytosanitary watchdog said in a report that Brazil, among the world's leading ten economies, purchased 194.000 tons of Argentine rice for 48 million US dollars. Uruguay another leading exporter of top quality rice is a significant supplier of Brazil. Argentine exports in January-October 2006 exceeded those of the whole 2005, when 360.000 tonnes equivalent to 88 million US dollars were shipped overseas. In January-October 2005 Argentina exported 293.000 tonnes for 72 million US dollars, a 28% increase in volume and 36% increase in revenue, reports SENASA. Chile, an associate member of Mercosur, was the second-largest buyer of Argentine rice, with 77.000 tonnes valued at 20 million US dollars. Other large buyers in the first ten months of 2006 were Iraq (31.000 tonnes for 10 million dollars), Haiti (21.000 tonnes for 6.4 million dollars) and Senegal (14.700 tonnes for three million dollars).