Maclean et al. - 2002 - Rice almanac source book for the most important e

ARGENTINA extends down the Atlantic coast of South America and is made up of the Andes
mountain range to the west; irrigated areas where fruits and sugarcane are grown; a system
of plains subtropical in the north where cotton is dominant; the central Pampas, chiefly
used for grazing; and the cold and arid Patagonian plateau in the south. Arable land is 9% of
the total land area, and 7% of that is irrigated. Agriculture makes up 7% of the GDP. The
population in 1999 was about 37 million.
General information
• GNI per capita PPP$, 2000: 12,050
• Internal renewable water resources: 694 km 3
• Incoming water flow: 300 km 3
• Main food consumed: meat, oil and fat,
sugar and honey, milk, wheat
• Rice consumption, 1999: 3.8 kg milled rice
per person per year
Production constraints
The following are constraints to sustainable rice
production in Argentina:
• High production costs
• Dependence on external markets for
marketing of rice products
• Straighthead, especially on sandy soils in
Corrientes
• Weed infestation (Echinochloa sp. and
Brachiaria sp.)
• Low temperature during early and/or
reproductive phases
• Yield potential of rice varieties has reached
a plateau
Production season
Planting Harvesting
Main season Oct-Nov Mar-Apr
130 Rice almanac