THE National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) declared their “best production so far” since the transition from sugar to rice cultivation.

This announcement was made on Friday by Supervisor of the Wales Rice production facility, Charles Brown. Brown said the yield of the national staple was sold at a higher price under “better arrangements, agreements, and accommodations” with several of the country’s millers and planters.

NICIL’s announcement of improved profitability per acre under better overall conditions comes at a time under globalised fear that the dreaded deadly COVID-19 contagious disease will devastate the global economy.

“We thought that with the COVID situation that the crop would have been affected severely taking into consideration the many challenges and difficulties that we faced in previous crops because of several issues. However, for this crop it was a reverse situation. While we did not achieve a 100 per cent yield, we were able to achieve a great production, thus resulting in the investment that we made paying off significantly,” Brown said.
NICIL, he added, spearheaded cultivation of some 400 acres of rice and has harvested over 350 acres so far. The rest was victim of fungal disease.

“We were able to secure 28 bags per acre before the mill and I must say that after the mill we secured 26 bags which was good. Looking at the previous crops that we had planted, I must say that this was our best production,” the supervisor explained.

The government holding agency at the forefront of the agriculture innovation at the former sugar-cultivation facility said they have commenced planting the first crop for 2020 despite the numerous challenges thrown up by the COVID-19 pandemic. The nature of the rice industry from cultivation to milling, precludes close interaction by workers, a requirement under COVID -19.

“You must understand that rice production is one crop which sees workers not generally being close to each other as during the production the workers work far from each other; so even before COVID the workers are doing physical distancing and that is why COVID didn’t affect rice in any way. Further, even to those operating the machinery also operates apart from each other, so there is no need for workers to be together. As we continue to battle COVID, it will help us to ensure that whatever we do, we keep the physical distancing etched in our minds,” Brown said during the interview.

He anticipates reaping the full acreage planted this year expressing pleasure with the novel transition of sugar to rice.

“We are planting 510.8 acres as we are seeing that rice is a good return for us here as such, NICIL is doing everything necessary as it continues to diversify in a number of areas,” Brown declared.