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FAO Predicts Fall in Rice, Other Food Production

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The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicted a drop in the production of rice, soy, coarse grains and sugar in Latin America in the 2018-2019 period.
 
According to the report Food Perspectives, transmitted by the organization's office in Havana, Brazil will replace the United States as the world's third largest supplier of soybean oil and will continue to be the main global supplier of poultry and flour.
 
Regarding the projections in the production of milk and beef, FAO estimates an increase in the results in these areas.
 
According to the text, the expansion of wheat planting in Argentina allows estimating an increase of eight percent of production in that country of South America.
 
However, Mexico, one of the main Latin American producers of this cereal, recorded a decline in the level of plantations, which is expected to significantly reduce its production.
 
According to the FAO, wheat imports in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2018-2019 will approach 25 million tons, for an increase of close to one million tons, mainly due to the major acquisitions in Brazil and Mexico, the main ones buyers of that food in the area.
 
Regarding rice, prospects in the area are negative, and point to an annual reduction of 1.5 percent in total production, which will fall to 18.6 million tons.
 
Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay and Venezuela will harvest less rice than in 2017, falls that will not be compensated by the increases foreseen in Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Paraguay and Peru.
 
Total purchases of Latin America and the Caribbean cereal could decrease by five percent to 4.2 million tons, as a result of cuts in Brazil, Haiti, Mexico and Peru, due to sufficient local availability and higher international prices.
 
With respect to sugar, in South America the latest estimates point to a decrease in production in 2017/18, in generally unfavorable climatic conditions (Argentina) and a greater proportion of the sugarcane crop used for ethanol production (Brazil). / PL