-GRDB General Manager
WHILE the country is currently faced with above normal rainfall, which has affected several sections of Regions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Jagnarine Singh, has assured that no damage has been done to the rice crop thus far. However, he has cautioned that dam maintenance is necessary, and encouraged rice farmers to secure their crop, as regional officers and technical staff from the GRDB continue to assess the situation.
Close attention is being paid to Regions 5 and 6, as these are known to be the largest rice-growing regions.
“We at the GRDB are working assiduously to ensure that farmers do not suffer losses as a result of the extreme weather pattern currently being experienced, as we work collaboratively with the respective agencies,” Singh said.
Government has been investing heavily in the rice industry, to supply its ever-growing market opportunities, as the sector recorded the highest ever production of 401,904 tonnes of rice in 2011, surpassing the 2010 target.
This increase of over 11 percent, according to the general manager, is as a result of government’s interventions such as dam maintenance and the supply of fertilizers, seeds and planting materials which are given to the rice farmers free of cost.
Meanwhile, General Secretary of the Rice Producers Association (RPA), Dharamkumar Seeraj stated that while 300 acres of rice, inclusive of young and mature rice, are currently affected in the Hope/Belfield area, systems are in place to ensure there are no losses.
The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) is currently working at the Hope sluice by clearing the outfall channel, and additional pumps are being installed at vulnerable areas to ensure that the water recedes.
“We are working around the clock to ensure that rice and cash crop farmers do not suffer losses, as a result of the extreme rainfall which is being experienced,” the general secretary said.