Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz

What Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz does

Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz (IRGA) is a public autarchy of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, founded in 1940 and currently led by President Alexandre Velho. The institution's mandate is to incentivize, coordinate, and superintend the defense of rice production, industry, and commerce within the state, which accounts for the majority of Brazilian rice output. IRGA delivers a portfolio of public services to registered rice producers (orizicultores), including agricultural research and extension, genetic improvement and certified seed production, environmental certification (Selo Ambiental), hail damage compensation (Comunicação de Granizo), market information and price monitoring, meteorological forecasting, and cultivar licensing.

The technology core consists of the Estação Experimental do Arroz (EEA), a research station in Cachoeirinha operating since 1939 that conducts irrigated rice breeding, agronomy, post-harvest, and seed production research, including protected cultivars IRGA 426 CLN, IRGA 431 CL, IRGA 424 RI, and IRGA 431. The institute also runs the Sistema Arroz RS14 regenerative agriculture project (2025), Projeto 10+ for lowland soybean research (2018), and the Provarroz consumer promotion program (2022). Distribution is built around 6 regional Coordenadorias and 39 NATE (Núcleos de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural) offices across the state, supplemented by a centralized online portal (irga.rs.gov.br), the Revista Lavoura Arrozeira publication, and an annual Dia de Campo field day.

The business model is non-commercial: IRGA does not sell products or services directly. It is funded by the Taxa de Cooperação e Defesa da Orizicultura (CDO), a mandatory statutory fee paid by rice producers and collected/remitted by processors, exporters, and importers under Lei nº 5.645/1968. Governance combines an appointed Executive Directorate with a Deliberative Council of 76 elected producers, 4 industry/commerce representatives, and 2 Federarroz delegates, providing a hybrid public-private accountability structure.

Name

Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz

Legal name

Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz

Website

https://irga.rs.gov.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz (IRGA) is a Rio Grande do Sul state autarchy that funds and delivers rice-sector research, extension, seed certification, and policy services for registered producers, sustained by the mandatory CDO fee and operated through 39 field offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pôrto Alegre

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IRGA is a state government agricultural institute that provides research, technical extension, seed certification, environmental certification, hail damage compensation, market information, weather forecasting, and policy coordination services to the rice sector of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It develops and licenses protected rice cultivars through its Genetic Improvement Program and Estação Experimental do Arroz research station, and is sustained by the mandatory Taxa CDO fee collected from rice producers.

Product overview

IRGA (Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz) is a public agricultural institute (autarquia) under the Rio Grande do Sul State Secretariat of Agriculture, focused on sustainable development of the state's rice sector. Rather than a unified software product, IRGA operates as a portfolio of government services including: a producer registration and extension services system (Cadastro de Produtor), market information and pricing platform (Mercado), agricultural research and technology development through its Experimental Station (Estação Experimental do Arroz), certified seed production and licensing (Semente Certificada), environmental certification (Selo Ambiental), hail damage insurance (Comunicação de Granizo), and consumer promotion programs (Provarroz). The institution maintains 6 regional coordinators and 32 NATE (Núcleos de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural) offices across 37 municipalities, providing direct technical support to rice producers. Core revenue derives from the CDO fee (Taxa CDO) collected from rice processors and exporters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Estação Experimental do Arroz (EEA) Research station in Cachoeirinha, RS, established in 1939, conducting rice breeding, agronomy, post-harvest, and seed production research, including genetic improvement programs for conventional and hybrid rice cultivars. Provides the foundational research infrastructure that generates technologies for the Rio Grande do Sul rice chain.
• Semente Certificada (Certified Seed Program) Seed certification program for irrigated rice cultivars, including breeder seed, basic seed, and certified seed production across multiple crop years. Serves licensed seed producers and rice producers in Rio Grande do Sul requiring quality-assured, locally adapted seeds.
• Pesquisa e Extensão Rural (Research and Rural Extension) Agricultural research and rural extension services including research programs and extension activities for sustainable rice and soybean cultivation in lowland areas. Delivered to rice producers across Rio Grande do Sul through 39 NATE offices and 6 regional coordinator offices.
• Selo Ambiental (Environmental Seal Certification) Environmental certification program recognizing rice producers who adopt sustainable agricultural practices, available in Gold, Silver, and standard tiers. Serves rice producers seeking sustainability verification for the gaucho rice chain.
• Comunicação de Granizo (Hail Damage Compensation Program) Hail damage compensation program for registered rice producers, regulated by Decreto nº 51.446/2014, including damage reporting, field inspection, and indemnification procedures for losses suffered from hail events affecting rice crops.
• Mercado (Market Information Service) Comprehensive market data platform providing rice price quotations, market analysis, production costs, CDO tax information, and export/import statistics for the rice sector. Available to rice producers, processors, and commerce stakeholders.
• Cadastro de Produtor de Arroz (Rice Producer Registration) Registration system for rice producers in Rio Grande do Sul, enabling access to IRGA services including voting rights for the Deliberative Council, rural extension support, hail insurance, and meteorological information.
• Taxa CDO (CDO Tax Administration) Collection and administration of the Taxa de Cooperação e Defesa da Orizicultura (CDO), a cooperation and defense fee funding IRGA operations, regulated by Lei nº 5.645/1968. Charged to rice producers and remitted by beneficiators, exporters, or importers of rice.
• Informações Meteorológicas (Meteorological Information Service) Weather forecasting and meteorological information services providing 15-day weather predictions and agricultural recommendations for rice cultivation areas. Serves rice producers planning planting and harvesting activities in Rio Grande do Sul.
• Programa de Valorização do Arroz (Provarroz) Rice promotion and consumer awareness program featuring the 'De Grão em Grão' web series, cooking workshops, school meal programs with rice flour, and nutrition education initiatives promoting rice consumption.
• Sistema Arroz RS14 Sustainable rice production system project focused on regenerative agriculture practices for rice cultivation in Rio Grande do Sul. Part of broader sustainable production initiatives for the gaucho rice sector.
• Projeto 10+ (Soja 6.000) Project focused on research and development for soybean cultivation in lowland areas previously used for rice. Supports crop diversification research in Rio Grande do Sul's irrigated agricultural systems.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Rice Research Institute (IRRI): Global CGIAR research center dedicated to rice. Comparable as a specialized rice research organization focused on genetic improvement, sustainable cultivation systems, and varietal development — directly aligned with IRGA's Estação Experimental do Arroz mission.
• Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária e Extensão Rural de Santa Catarina (Epagri): State-level agricultural research and rural extension institute for neighboring Santa Catarina. Directly comparable as a public autarchy combining agronomic research, cultivar development, and field extension services for crops including rice in southern Brazil.
• Associação Riograndense de Empreendimentos de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural (EMATER/RS): Public rural extension and technical assistance entity operating across Rio Grande do Sul. Directly comparable as it delivers on-the-ground extension services to the same small and medium rice producers IRGA serves, often in coordination with IRGA's NATE network.

Broad incumbents

• Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento (CONAB): Brazilian federal supply company that publishes national crop data, market intelligence, and policy administration for agricultural commodities including rice. Comparable as the national-level provider of rice market information and statistical reporting that complements IRGA's regional scope.
• Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa): Brazil's federal agricultural research corporation, with a dedicated Embrapa Arroz e Feijão unit. Comparable as the upstream national counterpart conducting rice R&D, cultivar development, and technology transfer — though broader in scope across all crops.

Regional players

• Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA Argentina): Argentina's national agricultural technology institute with rice research programs in the Corrientes/Entre Ríos region. Comparable as a regional public-sector agricultural R&D and extension organization in a competing Mercosur rice-producing geography.
• Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA Uruguay): Uruguay's national agricultural research institute with active rice breeding and sustainability programs in the Mercosur region. Comparable as a regional peer conducting rice varietal development and agronomic research in a neighboring Southern Cone rice-producing country.

Others

• Federação das Associações de Arrozeiros do Rio Grande do Sul (Federarroz): Federation of rice producer associations in Rio Grande do Sul. Related as the industry-representation counterpart to IRGA's public-sector role, with overlapping leadership and shared representation on IRGA's Deliberative Council.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCErr__QcXVvDP2aPAX72lCA?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/IrgaRS
• Instagraminstagram.com/irgars
• Xx.com/arrozrs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instituto-rio-grandense-do-arroz

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz