Characteristics of the creole rice production system in La Mojana, Colombia

Abstract

La Mojana is a sub-region with landscapes dominated by large bodies of water, interconnected by a network of canals and swamps. One of the most socially important production systems is creole rice, which is grown by small farmers. Since the socioeconomic and technical aspects of this system are unknown, a characterization of the system was carried out using structured surveys that captured social, technical and economic aspects. The sampling method used was non-probabilistic and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, with measures of central tendency and dispersion. The results showed that the criollo rice farmers have been engaged in this productive activity for more than 40 years, in small areas of land on the farm. Part of the production is sold in local markets and another part is used to feed the family nucleus, which is of great importance for food security. Despite the availability of improved varieties with higher yields, most farmers prefer this type of rice for their food because they consider it to have better culinary and nutritional quality. At least 46 varieties were identified for planting, which is done manually with very little use of chemical inputs. The main technological limitations of the system were identified and the costs and yields were determined, which made it possible to calculate a unit cost of US$ 0.40 kg-1. The main risk faced by this production system is the loss of ancestral seeds, which is why the conservation, purification and scaling of creole varieties is proposed, in order to return them to the community and thus contribute to the food security of the population of small producers linked to this system.