US open to rice trade with Guyana – Hunt

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Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Guyana Bryan Hunte said the rice sector in the United States (US) is most “certainly opened to Guyanese rice exporters , and that the Embassy would be willing to facilitate in the process, should anyone become interested.

Guyanese rice farmers and millers alike have already begun expressing grave concerns over the future of the rice sector, as bouts of uncertainty continue to hang over the largest market for rice and paddy – Venezuela. The oil rich nation, had accounted for around 60 per cent of total exports in 2010.

The concerns escalated last week when Finance Minister Winston Jordan, upon his return from Venezuela after holding talks with officials there, told Guyana Times International that the country would not be renewing the rice deal contract it has with Guyana, which is embedded in the PetroCaribe deal. This year’s contract comes to an end in November.

Millers had begun urging Government to see how best it could address the situation, as thousands of farmers were bound to lose out if things did not work out in their favour. Government however, on Monday reported that there was no problem with the deal, and that it would be continuing as scheduled.

Critics have said that Venezuela’s move to discontinue the deal after the November deadline is nothing more than a political move by the South American nation, which has been claiming ownership of Guyana’s territorial boundary. Venezuela continues to lay claim to part of the Stabroek block; an area where it was recently discovered has oil. The US-based exploration company ExxonMobil, which has been drilling since March of this year, made the discovery.

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