The Republic of the Gambia led purchases of rice (husk base) from Brazil in April this year, importing 29,412 tons. Costa Rica was next, importing 24,228 tons. The two countries accounted for almost half of the 111,145 t of Brazilian cereal exported last month, according to ABIARROZ (the Brazilian rice industry association) and SINDARROZ (the Rio Grande do Sul rice industry union). In April, rice shipments dropped more than 30,000 tons compared to the same month of 2020, when they totaled 145,508 tons. This information is from ABIARROZ and SINDARROZ, based on data from the Ministry of Economy. In addition to the Gambia and Costa Rica, four other countries led purchases of the cereal from Brazil: the Netherlands (20,589 tons), Peru (15,784 tons), Nicaragua (4,115 tons), and Venezuela (3,869 tons). Brazilian rice exports also declined in the first four months compared to the same period in 2020. From January to April this year, Brazil shipped 318,869 tons, against 383,687 tons in the first four months of 2020. The decline in foreign rice sales in April did not surprise the association. According to the director of International Affairs at ABIARROZ, Gustavo Trevisan, Brazilian cereal exports are returning to levels before the Covid-19 pandemic, which was already expected by the market. “With the pandemic, some rice-exporting countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand, and India, restricted foreign sales. As a result, there was a significant increase in our exports. Now, with the resumption of activities, shipments from Brazil are returning to normal volumes. ”
Sources: Planeta Arroz/Datamar News