Panama has enough rice to meet national demand and will not need to resort to new imports, assured the Federation of Associations of Rice and Other Grain Producers of Panama (Fapagrap) on Monday, presenting updated figures on available inventories. According to the guild, as of May 20, 2026, the national rice inventory will reach 4.8 million quintals, an increase of 1.3 million compared to the 3.5 million recorded on the same date in 2025. "There will be no shortage." Last week, during an extraordinary meeting of the rice agri-food chain, representatives of the National Association of Rice Millers (Analmo) proposed analyzing the import of a rice contingency for October of this year, anticipating problems with high production costs due to rising fuel prices. Ivanna Quintero, president of Analmo, stated that the proposed import quantity of around 1.5 million quintals responds to the country's current needs. The proposal was rejected by producers who assured there are no problems with planting or future harvests, although they admitted costs are rising 20% and they expect compensation measures to avoid consumer price increases. "The country has the necessary rice for its supply. The rice is in the country." This increase, they say, will guarantee the product's availability in the local market. Fapagrap explained that this growth in inventories coincides with the volume of rice that entered the country in 2025 outside the formal chain. They detailed that approximately 550 thousand quintals were introduced through four mills, another 550 thousand via the Agropecuary Marketing Institute (IMA), plus 111 thousand additional quintals imported by mills in January and 64 thousand of milled rice that paid a tariff, for a total of nearly 1.3 million quintals. According to the guild, this additional volume is what currently forms part of the national inventories, confirming that the product is already within the system and available for consumption. "The product is already in the system," they indicated. They reiterated that food security must be managed responsibly and emphasized that there is no risk of shortage.
