MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazilian rice exports jumped 85% during 2022 compared to 2021

Brazilian exports of rice in 2022 totaled 2.11 million tons, 85% higher than in 2021, according to the Brazilian Association of the Rice Industry (Abiarroz)

As Brazil continues to expand its agriculture frontiers and farming techniques, two cereals of which the country has been historically an importer are becoming increasingly self-sufficient. This is particularly true for wheat and rice, with most crops in the southern states of the country.

 In effect Brazilian exports of rice in 2022 totaled 2.11 million tons, with an 85% increase over the volume exported in 2021, according to the Brazilian Association of the Rice Industry (Abiarroz), which released a market update with data from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce, and Services (MDIC).

In December 2022, shipments of rice reached 291,500 tons, with revenues equivalent to US$ 89.6 million. In December 2021, exports reached 161.700 tons and revenue was US$ 42.7 million.

According to the industry association, the increase in sales abroad was caused by the return to normalcy in global trade after overcoming the obstacles caused by the covid-19 pandemic, as well as promotional actions promoted by rice producers in strategic markets through the Brazilian Rice project, which was developed in collaboration with ApexBrasil.

Processed rice exports, a product with more added value, also grew in 2022. The volume increased 34% compared to the previous year, to 588.200 tons while revenue from shipments rose 14% to US$ 190.6 million.

Last year, the ten leading importers of Brazilian processed rice were Senegal, Cuba, Peru, Gambia, Venezuela, the United States, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Algeria.

Additionally nine new markets received Brazilian processed rice for the first time: Honduras, El Salvador, Libya, Kenya, Lithuania, Guadeloupe, Oman, Benin, and Gabon.

Brazil has historically been a net importer of rice, with Mercosur associates, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay the main suppliers.