President José Raúl Mulino, invoking Article 122 of the Political Constitution of the Republic of Panama, reaffirmed that the State will pay special attention to the comprehensive development of the agricultural sector. Within this framework, extraordinary measures for the import of rice seed were established through Executive Decree No. 2 of February 4, 2026, with the aim of guaranteeing food security and supporting national producers. The importation of said seed will be the exclusive responsibility of the natural and/or legal persons who import it, exempting MIDA from any economic or other consequences. Among the procedures for importing certified seed, for producers of rice for human consumption, are: requesting registration as an importer from the National Directorate of Plant Health and filling out the import application; presenting to the Plant Health Directorate the documentation corresponding to the formal registration in the lists or bulletins of the commercial variety registries (RVC) of the country of origin. Furthermore, official results of the analysis of the seed lots to be imported, issued by the seed authority of the country of origin, must be delivered to said Directorate. These seeds must belong to varieties registered in the commercial registry of their country of origin for sowing and comply with the current legal norms that regulate the matter. The certified rice seed to be imported will be subject to quality controls by the National Directorate of Plant Health. Likewise, present the results of the tests required by the National Directorate of Plant Health in the phytosanitary requirements for import; Present a notarized agreement, signed with the National Directorate of Plant Health, committing to use this seed exclusively for planting on plots of their own property, renouncing its commercialization, sale, loan or transfer under any figure, to other producers who opt to plant this commercial grain. Only the quantity necessary for planting as established in the Notarized Agreement will be imported, the format of which will be provided by the National Directorate of Plant Health. Finally, this Directorate will certify the quality of the seed and the phytosanitary import requirements, through analyses carried out on samples taken from the lots upon their entry into the country, after passing the corresponding quarantine controls. This extraordinary measure will be in effect for the 2026-2027 agricultural cycle, through Executive Decree No. 2 of February 4, 2026, which will come into force upon its promulgation.
