Milled rice and broken rice market in Bolivia

Earlier Report Observations

The Bolivian milled rice market experienced initial fluctuations, with its size dipping to 323.8 thousand tons in 2020 after reaching 364.1 thousand tons the previous year. A severe drought and wildfires in the eastern lowlands in 2020 severely limited water for irrigation, reducing harvests. This followed a earlier constraint in 2018 when sown area fell sharply from 160 000 hectares to 90 000 hectares, tightening the domestic supply base.

A series of state measures from 2021 spurred a strong rebound, with the market expanding to 469.3 thousand tons by 2023. The government introduced a guaranteed base purchase price of US$70 per fanega to improve farmer profitability and later reinstated a diesel subsidy to lower production and transport costs. These efforts were supported by the launch of new, higher-yielding rice varieties and a bilateral technical cooperation agreement with South Korea aimed at modernizing cultivation.

In 2024, confronting ongoing supply pressures, authorities temporarily eliminated import tariffs on rice until February 2025 to secure availability and stabilize prices. A persistent diesel shortage continued to threaten harvest operations, while new mandatory traceability and labeling rules were announced to combat smuggling and enhance food safety controls moving forward.

Production milled rice and broken rice in Bolivia

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Top producers of milled rice and broken rice, 2017-2020

World map of production of milled rice and broken rice, 2017-2020

Bolivia's production of milled rice and broken rice declined after two years of growth. In 2019, production reached its peak at 346.5 thousand tons, but then fell by 11.1% in 2020 to 308.1 thousand tons. Looking at the broader period from 2017 to 2020, production increased by 2.6% overall, which translates to an average annual growth rate of 0.9%. The most significant year-on-year increase occurred in 2018, when production rose by 10.9%.

Annual dynamics of production in Bolivia in kind, 2017-2020, K t

Exports milled rice and broken rice from Bolivia

According to market reports, Bolivia did not export any milled rice or broken rice between 2017 and 2020.

Imports milled rice and broken rice to Bolivia

Imports in kind, t

Bolivia's imports of milled rice and broken rice declined for the second year in a row. In 2019, imports dropped sharply by 31.1%, followed by a further decrease of 10.9% in 2020, bringing the total to approximately 15 703 tons. Over the four-year period from 2017 to 2020, imports fell by 30%, averaging an annual decline of 11.2%. The highest import volume was recorded in 2018 at 25 584 tons, which also saw the largest increase of 14.0% compared to the previous year.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Bolivia in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Argentina was the primary source for Bolivia's imports of milled rice and broken rice, accounting for 71.8% of the total volume. The remaining imports were spread across various other countries.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Bolivia in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

The value of Bolivia's imports of milled rice and broken rice continued to decline for the second consecutive year. In 2019, imports fell by 30.8%, and in 2020, they decreased by another 5.2% to 7 748 thousand US dollars. Over the 2017-2020 period, import values dropped by 33.8%, with an average annual decline of 12.9%. The peak was in 2018 at 11 817 thousand US dollars, which also saw a modest increase of 1.0% from the previous year.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Bolivia in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, Argentina dominated Bolivia's imports of milled rice and broken rice in value terms, representing 73.9% of the total. The rest of the import value was shared among several smaller markets.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Bolivia in value, 2017-2020