He said too that routine tests conduct on the commodity before it was exported showed no symptom of the disease which causes severe damage to cereals.

According to the General Manager, a shipment of 5,493 tonnes of rice from the United States (US) that arrived in the Spanish speaking South American nation four days before the local cargo was also detected with the fungus.

Carlos reported that samples of the staples have so far been sent to independent international laboratories for analysis and the reports are expected to be released in another seven days.

He stated that reports from all the tests being conducted in the US, Spain, Colombia and Guyana will be made available to the Colombian authorities immediately after release and currently, the 1064 tonnes of local paddy shipped by the MV Smarty on May 5th is docked at a Colombian port untouched.

Wrong place at the wrong time
An official at the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) told this new paper that the US and Colombia are operating a free trade agreement to import 75,000 tonnes rice from the USA and the rice producers of Colombia are up in arms against that trade.

The recent action the official posited appeared to be a protest action between the US and Colombia trade and Guyana happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“The situation is the environment is competitive and they don’t want the US, but because of rice, they are trying to hold on Guyana, a small exporter,” the source said.

Carlos pointed out that the rice producers in Colombia are against the move as they fear their farmers will lose out since the rice go into Colombia duty free.

The Colombian reasoned that given the 5,493 tonnes of US rice held up, plus the

1064 tonnes of paddy from Guyana, coupled with the balance of 75,000 from Guyana that will arrive there anytime soon as well as the outstanding amount from the US, it appears that the Colombian authorities are closing deals with the US.

He disclosed that the price for the staple has been going up in that country mainly because three big millers there have a monopoly over the industry.

The top Saj Rice Group Inc. official said Colombia’s rice production is ten times greater the amount Guyana exports. Further he said, one month rice consumption of that country which has a population of 42 million people is almost equivalent to the total sum Guyana exports in a year.

Fungus allegation
Inter-Bahia Investment SA local branch Manager Mr. Farouk Yussuf said that the “fungus infected rice” allegation is an excuse to push back their government decision to import 75,000 tonnes of US rice.

“It’s simple, Guyana produces rice, the government says import 20,000 tonnes of rice, the local rice producers association here would try to object that the rice should not come in Guyana by saying all kind of things, it has disease, not good for human consumption. It’s a similar situation,” he contended.

Yussuf lamented that his company is feeling the squeeze because the paddy held up in Colombia cannot be milled to sell while the rice price on the world market is going down.

He said the paddy in the Colombian dock values some US$ 362,000 but storage and wharf expenses have push the cost to more than US $400,000.

He said the paddy shipment is the first to Colombia and noted that Guyana in 2008 and early this year has exported white rice to that country.

The local Inter-Bahia Investment SA branch manager pointed out that the fourth largest South American nation has a license to import 75,000 tonnes local rice duty free and Guyana can supply the amount at a competitive price.

That country he said too is opened to buy local paddy.
Yussuf also down played any intention to sue the Colombia rice producers association if the samples are proven to be free from tilletia and has emphasised that the goal is maintain that market.

A letter from the GRDB stated that sampling of the paddy exported by done by its staff at the Saj Rice Mills at Burma while the trucks were being loaded for transporting the commodity to the Muneshwer’s Wharf, Water Street, Georgetown for export.

“Sampling was also conducted at the port of loading by Ricelab, a private laboratory and GRDB officers prior to loading as attested to by the certificates. The paddy was then graded according to GYS 211: 2002 Method and certified by the Central Laboratory, Head Office,” the letter stated.

The document added that Guyana has exported large quantity of paddy to Ecuador, Jamaica, Trinidad and Brazil before and has never encountered the problem.