Until the month of September of this year rice dealers of Chiriqui (Panama), have import agriculturists materials valued in almost 100 million USD.

Most of these products are acquired on credit at high interests. The rice producers are the most important clients for the companies that sell materials for agricultural use.

In order to increase the seeded surface, rice dealers have to save and according to the Association of Rice Producers of Chiriquí (Apach), at the moment is studying the imports of materials directly and not using intermediaries.

The costs by hectare at the moment reach 1,129 USD, of whose amount the 41,4% are destined to purchase agricultural materials as seeds, fertilizers, urea, herbicides and fungicides.