Colombia | Sowing the future: Rice sector. March 2026

Summary

Rice production in Colombia reached record levels in 2024, generating excess inventories and downward pressure on prices. For 2026, a reduction in planted area is expected, which could adjust supply, although climate and tariff factors pose risks to the sector.

Key points

• Key points:
• Globally, Colombia ranks twenty-fifth in rice production and forty-fourth in yield, with an average national consumption of 41 kilograms per person per year.
• The rice chain contributes 0.3% of the national value added and generates about 36,700 jobs, representing 1.1% of the total workers in the Colombian agricultural sector.
• The total production value of the chain amounted to 12 trillion pesos in 2024, divided into 5.7 trillion corresponding to the agricultural phase and 6.3 trillion to the industrial phase.
• The cost of producing a ton of green paddy rice ranged between 0.9 and 1.6 million pesos in 2024, with the irrigation system in the central zone presenting the highest costs per hectare.
• Imports represent 9% of domestic consumption, but tariff reductions with the United States and the strength of the Colombian peso could increase the entry of foreign rice.

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