The Agricultural Affairs Commission of the Congress agreed to ask the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC) to immediately stop massive imports of milled rice.
Members of the legislative panel unanimously approved a motion in which they argue that domestic producers are being driven to ruin by massive imports.
According to legislators, the executive branch has the legal framework to enable the safeguard mechanisms in order to contribute to market transparency and healthy participation of the various actors, including producers, importers, traders, industries and consumers.
Legislator Javier Cambronero said that in the last 6 years rice imports have increased by 500%, especially from South America.
Last year, importers brought about 54 thousand tons of rice, displacing 22 thousand hectares of domestic rice.