During the 17th and 18th centuries there was a world wide expansion of different types of rice cultivated, more than the present-day. During this period, Portugal attempted to transform the Amazon river delta into a rice granery, introducing rice cultivation in the state of Greater Pará (Grão Pará). The colonization of Macapá and Mazagão began on the basis of this rice production. This article addresses the issues relating to the supply of laborers required for this project and the manufacturing technology and commercialization of products employed by the Companhia Geral do Comércio do Grão Pará e Maranhão (General Company for Commerce in Greater Pará).
