Rice producers in Peru are on alert due to the critical situation facing the sector. Hermitanio Rojas, president of the Peruvian Association of Rice Producers, announced that they could initiate a national strike if the government does not declare this industry in emergency within 15 days. More than 150,000 farmers are affected by the drop in prices, which currently range between S/0.50 and S/0.60 per kilogram, while the costs of inputs such as fertilizers and oil continue to rise.
Rojas emphasized that the government has not fulfilled its promised state purchases to support farmers. “We had meetings in Lima and Jaén, but so far we have not seen results,” he stated. He also questioned the quality of rice imported from Asia, claiming that it could be contaminated and is mixed with the national product.
Among their demands, rice producers are calling for a closure of imports for 120 days and greater control by the National Service of Agrarian Health and Quality (Senasa). If their demands are not met, Rojas warned that the strike could extend to other agricultural unions, which also face difficulties, such as those of potato and corn producers.
