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

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

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VENEZUELA <strong>for</strong>ms part of <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn edge of South America, facing <strong>the</strong> Caribbean Sea<br />

and bordered by Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana. It has an area of 912,000 km 2 and a population<br />

(1999) of 23.7 million. There are three main regions: mountainous areas in <strong>the</strong> north, west,<br />

and south; coast<strong>al</strong> lowlands; and centr<strong>al</strong> plains. Arable land is 4% of <strong>the</strong> tot<strong>al</strong>; agriculture<br />

occupies 13% of <strong>the</strong> work<strong>for</strong>ce and <strong>for</strong>ms 4% of <strong>the</strong> GDP.<br />

Gener<strong>al</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

• GNI per capita PPP$, 2000: 5,740<br />

• Intern<strong>al</strong> renewable water re<strong>source</strong>s: 200 km 3<br />

• Main food consumed: maize, oil and fat,<br />

sugar and honey, wheat, fruits<br />

• <strong>Rice</strong> consumption, 1999: 15.6 kg milled rice<br />

per person per year<br />

Production season<br />

Planting Harvesting<br />

W<strong>et</strong> season Jul-Aug Nov-Dec<br />

Dry season Nov-Dec May-Jun<br />

Production constraints<br />

The following are <strong>the</strong> major constraints to<br />

sustainable rice production in Venezuela:<br />

• <strong>Rice</strong> hoja blanca virus, blast, brown spot,<br />

and whitebacked planthopper<br />

• Weed and red rice comp<strong>et</strong>ition<br />

• Iron toxicity, poor intern<strong>al</strong> and extern<strong>al</strong><br />

drainage because of heavy soils in<br />

Portuguesa and Guárico<br />

• Yield decline in intensive irrigated areas<br />

• Yield potenti<strong>al</strong> of present irrigated<br />

vari<strong>et</strong>ies has reached a plateau<br />

• Poor land preparation<br />

234 <strong>Rice</strong> <strong>al</strong>manac

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