Spain

General Information

· Main climates: Subtropical Dry Summer, Subtropical Steppe and Semiarid

· Total land area: 50 599 000 ha

· Internal renewable water resources: 110.3 km³

· Incoming water flow: 1 km³

· GNP per capita, 1998: PPP$ 15 960

· Main food consumed: Meat, Oil & Fat, Wheat, Sugar & Honey, Milk

· Rice supply, 1999: 11.3 kg paddy/capita/year

Basic Statistics

Producing Zones and Cropping Seasons

Rice producing zones spread around the country. The following table shows the harvested areas from different producing zones.

Rice is planted once a year.

Production Practices

Rice is planted only under irrigated conditions, in medium to large and highly mechanised farms. Direct seeding by broadcasting is the popular method of crop establishment. Rice crops are applied with adequate rate of fertilizers and other agro-chemicals for crop protection. The development and transfer of integrated rice crop management system has increased rice yield during the recent past. Rice varieties belong to japonica subspecies.

The following table shows rice responses to fertilizer application.

Constraints and Issues of Sustainable Production

There are several constraints to sustainable rice production in Portugal. Followings are the major:

• Low temperature

• Stagnation of the yield potential of rice varieties

• High production costs

• Blast

• Limited water supply

• Salinity in rice soils

• Red rice

The following table shows the rice production costs.

The opening of rice market under WTO would have important effect on production. Also, rice production will be affected by the population's concern on environmental degradation.

Research and Development Institutes

· Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias Departamento del Arroz, Apdo. de Correos 37 Ronda Pais Valencia 42 SUECA Valencia Valencia Phone: (06) 170-1924

· Departamento del Arroz (IVIA), Ronda Pais Valenciano 42, 46410 Sueca-Apartado de Correos 31, Valencia, Phone: 34-6-1701924 Fax: 34-6-1711915

· IRIA, Estacion Experimental, 43870 Amposta, Phone: 34-977-490187

· Departamento del Arroz (IVIA), Ronda Pais Valenciano 42, 46410 Sueca-Apartado de Correos 31 Valencia, Spain; Tel 346 1701924; Fax 346 1711915.

· Arrocera Herba SA, Real 43 41920 San Juan de Aznalfarache Sevilla Phone: (95) 476-0250 Telex: 72158 HERBA E Fax: (95) 476-0260

· Castells Semillas Certif. Golas de Ebro 269 Tarragona

· Federacion de Agricultores Arroceros de Espana, Servicio de Semillas Lauria 26 46002 Valencia 2 Valencia

· Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias Conselleria d'Agricultura, Generalitat Valenciana Apartado Oficial Carretera Moncada-Naquera Km. 4,5 46113 Moncada Valencia Phone: (06) 139-1000 Telex: 61440 IVIA E Fax: (06) 139-0240

· Instituto Nacional de Semillas y Plantas de Vivero Ministerio de Agricultura Jose Abascal 56 28003 Madrid Madrid, Phone: (1) 347-6900 Telex: 47698 INIA E Fax: (1) 442-8264