Ramsammy reports…

Record-breaking, highest ever rice production in 2011
THE local rice industry experienced a record-breaking 2011, having produced its highest ever total, 401,904 tonnes, an increase of some 11 per cent or 40,000 tonnes more than the 361, 525 tonnes in  2010.
Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, attributed the milestone, in part, to the improved drainage and irrigation (D&I) capacity, which has lessened the challenges, with which rice farmers, traditionally, have to grapple.
In his explanation, he said: “Guyana has largely overcome the low irrigation water level through the use of pumps such as at Dawa, Mibicuri and Manarabisi… the rice farmers of Guyana have ensured that, for the first rice crop of 2012, more than 80 per cent of the available rice land is already under cultivation. In spite of the fact that, because of an unusually dry period between September and the middle of December, irrigation water was available in limited amount.”
Ramsammy said such interventions, coupled with the hard work and resilience of the country’s rice farmers, have resulted in the unprecedented production.
“Even as I look forward to another record-breaking year for rice in 2012, I would like to congratulate the rice farmers of Guyana for continuing to build the rice industry in Guyana. The rice farmers continue to overcome climate change and other adverse conditions and are not only feeding our people but producing rice to meet the increasing demand on the international market,” he pointed out.
Minister Ramsammy also acknowledged the many constraints that the farmers, particularly the small ones, have had to endure,including a payment system that has been unfair to them and pledged to work along with them to ensure that, this year, they are paid on time and that they are not used to “bankroll’ millers.
He disclosed that, in 2011, the total quantity of rice exported amounted to almost 300,000 tonnes, mostly to CARICOM countries, Venezuela and Europe
Ramsammy noted, too, that Venezuela represents “an exciting new frontier” for rice export and, at the end of 2011, Guyana would have exported in excess of 160,000 tonnes to that country.

HIGH PRICES
In addition, the high prices being offered for the grains in Venezuela are very encouraging to farmers, he added.
“If the price is high, farmers will go through constraints to produce rice…virtually all the land that is available and even those that were abandoned are now being developed for cultivation,” Ramsammy observed.
In 2011, Government sealed a US$54M agreement with the Government of Venezuela, an accord that extended and revised three previous contracts between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Ramsammy disclosed that, in 2011, significant progress was made towards the certification of the Rice Testing Laboratory.
According to him: “In order to continue growing the international market, the Rice Testing Laboratory represents a critical technological capacity. This will become even more critical in the future. We expect to complete the certification process in early 2012.”
He expressed confidence that this year will be another rice industry record for Guyana.

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