Overview
- Peru completed its first milled rice export on Friday, October 30, 2026, sending 19.5 tonnes (1,720 sacks) of aged, high‑quality rice to New Jersey.
- The Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Agraria (Senasa) provided phytosanitary certification and officials highlighted Peru's official Khapra‑free status as key to meeting U.S. sanitary rules.
- The shipment was routed through the port of Bolívar in Ecuador with technical support from the Association of Exporters (ADEX) to reduce freight time and cost.
- The rice came from small producers in Corrales, Tumbes, and the government frames the operation as a precedent to improve returns for more than 74,000 rice‑growing families, though the load is small and further scaling is required.
- Peru grows rice on roughly 430,000 hectares with about 3.7 million tonnes produced annually, and expanding exports could relieve domestic oversupply and raise prices if producers can sustain quality and cover export costs.