Grain production in Bolivia falls 6% compared to last year

The production of soy, corn, wheat, sunflower and sorghum in eastern Bolivia in 2021 reached 4.7 million tons, 6% less than the previous year, detailed this Tuesday the Association of Oilseed and Wheat Producers (Anapo).

The general manager of Anapo, Jaime Hernández, presented to the media in the eastern region of Santa Cruz, the country’s economic engine, the evaluation of the sector on the production of these grains and oilseeds “which are strategic foods that contribute to guaranteeing safety. and food sovereignty of the country “.

“As a result of the sowing of the summer 2020-2021 and winter 2021 campaigns, the total production of these grains has been approximately 4,700,000 tons, which has represented a decrease of 6% compared to the previous year”, Hernández stated.

The decrease was due to “unfavorable weather conditions” faced by producers in the winter season, where there was a prolonged drought and frosts that left “considerable” losses, especially in sorghum and corn crops, he said.

The favorable conditions in the summer season allowed to increase soybean production with an additional 500,000 tons that, together with good prices in the international market, allowed farmers to bear the losses generated in the winter, he added.

Agricultural production generated an economic movement of about 1,600 million dollars, 37% more than the previous year, he stressed.

Regarding foreign trade, the manager of Anapo cited data from the state National Institute of Statistics (INE) that indicates that as of October this year, oilseed exports had a value of about 1,250 million dollars, 77% more than in the same period of 2020 and that is attributed to the good external situation.

Hernández assured that the productive sector has been “stagnant” in recent years in terms of planting area, with 2.3 million hectares in the summer and winter seasons, “which means that any expansion is being ruled out. from the agricultural frontier “.

Environmentalists and experts have denounced that in recent years the distribution of land has been privileged to expand the agricultural frontier, especially in eastern Bolivia, which has generated problems such as forest fires and land invasions, in a conflict that has it becomes more and more violent and political.

Yahoo

Tags: harvest, grain