Protests by Casanare rice growers spread to other departments: What are they demanding?
After the Ministry of Agriculture announced some agreements to open the road in the Aguazul sector, blocked by the protests of rice growers throughout the department of Casanare, leaders of the producers of this cereal did not wait to show their surprise to learn that the ministerial portfolio has not yet issued the resolution that should determine the rice storage incentive, in addition to setting the minimum price of the harvest to cover production costs and ensure a margin of profitability for rice growers.
| You may be interested in: Check here if you are entitled to the Renta Ciudadana subsidy and how to claim it: there are thousands of beneficiaries
This was announced this morning, July 24, by the social organization Dignidad Agropecuaria, which links producers from different sectors of Colombian agriculture.
In addition, the organization rejected the statement made on Saturday, July 22 by the Minister of Agriculture, Jhenifer Mojica, in which she announced the agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and the president of the Diana group, Jaime Murra, to generate spaces for dialogue “if the blockade of the road to the Llano is previously lifted”.
The agreement between the national government and Diana has very relevant implications, since the group presided by Jaime Murra together with Arroz Roa own about 85% of the rice stockpile and are the main importers of the grain, in addition to managing the drying, threshing and distribution of the cereal in Colombia.
In the statement, Dignidad Agropecuaria wrote: “It is surprising and outrageous the tweet of the Ministry of Agriculture where it agrees with spokesmen of the duopoly [Grupo Diana and Arroz Roa] that manages the purchase, drying, threshing and distribution of the grain not to sit down to continue the search for solutions, but to lift the just sit-in of Aguazul”.
In addition, and according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, yesterday afternoon, Sunday, July 23, the Ministry and the Ministry of the Interior reached agreements with the rice growers of Casanare “to lift the closure of the road in the Aguazul sector. At this moment, the road already allows the free transit of vehicles in both directions”.
#Atención ¡Lo logramos! #MinAgricultura y @MinInterior logran acuerdos con productores arroceros 🌾 del Casanare para levantar el cierre sobre la vía en el sector de Aguazul. En este momento, la vía ya permite el libre tránsito de vehículos en ambos sentidos. 🧵
— Min. de Agricultura (@MinAgricultura) July 23, 2023
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, today, July 24, will be issued the resolution that “sets the support program for the management of surplus rice harvest for the second half of the year”, as part of the agreement reached yesterday in the rice growers’ protests.
Also, the entity said that there will be meetings with the rice industry, agricultural producers of Casanare and the Fund for the Financing of the Agricultural Sector (Finagro) “to seek alternative financing to achieve a better purchase price of harvest”, says the publication on Twitter of the institution.
The communication comes after more than two months have passed in which Colombian rice growers have been talking with the Ministry of Agriculture and Induarroz “to request the approval of a storage incentive, the setting of a minimum purchase price that is fair for producers and reflects the costs of producing the cereal and a profit rate for them”, says Dignidad Agropecuaria.
| You may also be interested in: Guaranteed Minimum Income Subsidy in Bogota: check here if you are one of the 273,233 beneficiary households and how to collect it
What motivates the protests of rice growers in Colombia?
In the communication of Dignidad Agropecuaria, the social organization assures that the protests of rice farmers in the municipality of Aguazul represent the crisis that rice farmers are going through in the whole country. For this reason, it shows its support and joins the mobilizations organized by rice farmers in other departments with those accompanying the protest in Aguazul since 8:00 a.m. today.
#CrisisArroz Productores de arroz se movilizan pacíficamente con un paro en Casanare exigiéndole al gobierno soluciones urgentes ante la necesidad de un precio justo para el arroz, al día no ha salido resolución de precios, ni una respuesta positiva por parte de la industria. pic.twitter.com/FtFltoMRUu
— Dignidad Agropecuaria Cundinamarca (@DignidadAgroCun) July 22, 2023
“The mobilization, in addition to supporting grain producers, aims to make known the demands of those who are cutting rice and delivering it to the milling industry at prices well below what it costs them to produce it”, illustrates the statement of Dignidad Agropecuaria.
Despite the fact that the Ministry of Agriculture says it recognizes the importance of the storage incentive, weeks have passed, already exceeding two months, and the ministerial body has still not issued the resolution demanded by the farmers, a wait that undoubtedly motivated the protests of the rice growers.
For their part, and according to Dignidad Agropecuaria, the talks on the value of the storage incentive fail to adjust to the current price conditions for their production, so the rice growers consider that the value that has been put on the table is not fair. “The milling industry refuses to recognize that fair price and the Ministry of Agriculture delays in issuing the resolution that puts controls, restrictions and a price that protects the national rice production”, can be read in the statement of Dignidad Agropecuaria with which it supports the protests of the rice growers of Casanare.
Protests by rice growers in other departments
The protests of the rice growers of the department of Casanare are joined by those of the rice producers of Meta, those of the municipality of Campoalegre in Huila, those of Arauca and those of Tolima today.
In the capital of Meta, rice producers attended the rally at the Glorieta Montecarlo, while rice growers from Campoalegre gathered in front of the facilities of the National Rice Growers Federation (Fedearroz).
The main slogans of the mobilization are: “For storage incentives. For renegotiation of the US FTA. For a joint commission to establish a plan to stabilize prices”.
Likewise, the Corporation for the agricultural, industrial and environmental development of the Associations of users of the irrigation districts of the department of Tolima (Coagrodistritos) also joined their colleagues from Casanare and confirmed their participation in the day of mobilizations scheduled for today, July 24:
“The irrigation districts of Tolima, attached to Coagrodistritos are in solidarity and support the mobilization and stoppage activities carried out by the producers of the department of Casanare”, stated the Corporation.
Finally, and according to Dignidad Agropecuaria, at 4:00 p.m. today the National Rice Council will meet at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development with the national government to resolve the floor purchase price, one of the main concerns of rice farmers, and the storage incentive.
The National Rice Council is composed of Fedearroz, Induarroz, rice circles and Dignidad Arrocera.
| Read more: Rice growers once again hit the streets: recent protests confirm the difficult moment for rice in Colombia
