Colombia Agriculture Minister clarifies rice crop comments

Colombian Agriculture Minister Indalecio Dangond has clarified recent controversial remarks regarding rice cultivation, stating his comments were specifically directed at the inefficiency of rice farming in the La Guajira and Cesar regions rather than the entire country.

During an event in Urumita, Dangond suggested that rice may no longer be a viable business in La Guajira due to high production costs and low yields. He noted that producers in areas like Fonseca have faced consecutive financial losses despite having access to irrigation from the Ranchería district. He argued that if production costs exceed 10 million pesos per hectare without reaching yields of 8 to 9 tons, the investment cannot be recovered.

As an alternative, the Minister recommended exploring other crops, such as cashew (marañón), which could potentially be more profitable in those specific conditions. Supporters of the Minister noted that his statements were taken out of context by political opponents and emphasized that the proposal aims to address the specific economic struggles of farmers in those departments.