Guyana’s rice production reaches all-time high – Agriculture Minister

The overall rice production for 2012 has amounted to a historic 422,058 tonnes, and of that amount, exports accounted for 334,000 tonnes.
Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy announced last week that the outstanding performer in the rice industry for 2012 was Region Five, which produced 37 per cent of the total quantity of rice. Production from that region exceeded a 150,000 tonnes.
Region Six came in second with 108,000 tonnes or 25 per cent of the overall production, followed by Regions Two, Three and Four in terms of their production. Minister Ramsammy indicated that when it comes to yield, Region Four (Cane Grove/ Mahaica) was the best yielding area, producing about 5.6 tonnes of paddy per hectare. “This is an area that in the 1980s and early 1990s produced about 1.5 tonnes per hectare,” the minister highlighted.
With regards to the overall average for the country in terms of yield, the 4.6 tonnes per hectare indicates that the rice industry continues to be on the rise. The rice production target for 2012 was 412,000 tonnes.
Minister Ramsammy also disclosed that there will be a special meeting among the Agriculture and Foreign Affairs ministries and the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) to consider rice exports.
“Presently, more than 60 per cent of the exported rice goes to Venezuela… Venezuela is the preferred market for farmers and millers,” he said. Additionally, there was a reduction in exports to Europe in 2012, not because the demand for Guyana’s rice in Europe has reduced.
“We are hoping that in 2013, with greater production, we will be able to meet the demand in Venezuela, the Caribbean and Europe… the possibility of 500,000 tonnes of rice by 2015 now is real,” the minister said.
In the original strategy, it was anticipated that the 500,000 tonnes target would have been met by 2020; however, it looks as though that target can be met earlier. Given the amount of rainfall that was experienced and floods that resulted in the first crop, it is indeed a remarkable feat for Guyana’s rice farmers, Minister Ramsammy had earlier said.
Guyana’s rice industry has proven to be yet another dynamic source of economic growth. Government’s investment in human resource, farm lands, equipment, research, and, in acquiring new farming techniques, have propelled rice production to a new dimension.
Government has invested in seed facilities across the country with the most recently completed one at Number 56 Village, Berbice, to be commissioned shortly.
This facility is expected to generate more than 20,000 bags of seed paddy by the second crop. The Burma Seed Paddy Facility produces approximately 10,000 bags per crop, and together with the Rice Producers Association and private rice farmers, the industry produces about 180,000 bags of seed paddy yearly.