Uruguay Records Third Highest Rise Harvest on Record in 2025/26 Season

The Uruguayan Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) announced that the 2025/26 rice harvest was the third-highest on record.

Strong production numbers were achieved with less planted land then previous years.

MGAP reported that total production reached 1,551,226 tons of dry, clean paddy rice. The 2025/26 harvest was achieved with an estimated at 165,554 hectares, 9.5% less than in the previous season.

The national average yield was estimated at 9,370 kilograms per hectare, only 30 kilos below the 2020/21 harvest, which was the highest in Uruguay's history.

Uruguay's eastern planting region was responsible for the majority of the production, with 120,714 hectares planted, accounting for 73% of the national total, and producing 1,117,933 tons.

The MGAP report disclosed the most popular cultivars as well. INIA Merim was the most widely planted, covering 34% of the total area, followed by Gurí INTA CL with 17% and INIA Olimar with 15%.

Uruguay is a top rice exporter globally. It has ideal conditions for rice cultivation, and a small population that effectively uses the land to create value.