ANA, CONAB mapping identifies 1.3 million hectares of irrigated rice in Brazil

Irrigated rice is concentrated in 77% of Brazil’s planting area and accounts for 90% of its rice production, while rain-fed growing areas continue to shrink and represent 23% of total area and 10% of production. Although there has been a reduction in total area in recent years, there is a constant increase in the segment’s productivity, due to improvements in the technological package available to producers, including greater efficiency in the use of water. The crop is also responsible for 25% of the country’s irrigated areas.

This analysis is featured in the survey, entitled, “Mapping of Irrigated Rice in Brazil,” produced by the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA) and by the National Supply Company (CONAB). 

Flood management requires more water per unit than other systems. In addition, with improvements to the management of soil, water and inputs, irrigation provides rice with more than three times the productivity observed in rain-fed areas. Over the last five years (2014-2018), upland rice yielded 2,134 kg/ha on average, while irrigated rice yielded 7,403 kg/ha, or 3.5 times more.

Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Tocantins account for 1.2 million hectares out of the total 1.3 million hectares of rice identified in Brazil. RS maintains the absolute leadership with 72.9% of area occupied by irrigated rice (946,000 hectares), followed by Santa Catarina (11.5%) and Tocantins (8.4%). Paraná, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul appear in the list with 1.5%, 1.3% and 0.8%, respectively. The remaining 3.5% of estimated area is distributed in 12 other states, which are Alagoas, Ceará, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Roraima, Sergipe and São Paulo.

Production is identified in 342 municipalities, with 75 having an area greater than 3,000 hectares and totaling 1.1 million hectares (85% of total). Of the 75 municipalities, 49 are in Rio Grande do Sul, 15 in Santa Catarina, six in Tocantins and another five in Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Paraná and Roraima (one municipality each). The four main irrigators are located in Rio Grande do Sul, which are Uruguaiana (80,000ha), Santa Vitória do Palmar (65,000ha), Itaqui (63,000ha) and Alegrete (53,000ha). Lagoa da Confusão, Tocantins, comes next with 48,000ha.

"In Brazil, 40% of water volume collected for irrigation is destined for rice. With 90% of its total production under irrigation, the crop is key for water security and food security, regional development and resource discussions. The mapping of these crops is essential for decision-making in agricultural, regional development and water resources policies," said Marcelo Cruz (ANA Director).

The mapping of irrigated rice in the states with the greatest production was carried out by means of visual interpretation of satellite images, followed by field verification carried out by CONAB technicians, in partnership with public and private institutions in the localities.

"Brazil is one of the largest rice producers in the world, along with China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Japan and Pakistan," explained Guilherme Bastos (President of CONAB). "As there is much talk today about the importance of agriculture 4.0, this mapping demonstrates not only our ability to innovate and deliver increasingly contemporary research with the best technology available, but also our functionality for these culture producers, since the mapping of crops can assist in agricultural policy decision-making," he added.

Based on the last five harvests, the country produced between 10.4 and 12.4 million tons of rice annually, according to data from CONAB, and accounts for 76% of Mercosur production, followed by Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. The average annual value of production over the same period was R$8.83 billion, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

Mapping Irrigated Rice in Brazil

The technical basis of “Mapping of Irrigated Rice in Brazil” will continue to be analyzed in the second edition of Atlas Irrigation, which will publish, in 2020, an updated technical analysis of Brazilian irrigation. The publication, which is under preparation, will offer an overview of irrigation in the country and will serve as a reference for both the National Water Resources Policy and the National Irrigation Policy. Mapping Irrigated Rice in Brazil is the seventh and last publication prior to the launch of Atlas Irrigation 2020.

The original Portuguese version of this article is from GRUPO CULTIVAR.