RICE farmers on the Essequibo Coast are taking full advantage of the hot weather to harvest paddy from their fields.

The harvesting is in full swing and the planters are being offered good prices for their produce.
Reports said 2,552 acres have already been harvested at an average yield of 30 bags per acre and several buying centres across the coast are paying $4,000 for a bag of ‘A’ grade paddy; $3,900 for ‘B’ and $3,800 for ‘C’.
The offer for a bag of ‘Extra A’ paddy is $4,100.
Farmers who have already reaped and sold their grains are very pleased with what they have received, remarking that it is much better than the last crop.
Meanwhile, the Region 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam) Drainage and Irrigation Department is also, currently, preparing access dams so farmers can transport their paddy from fields to factories quickly.
Production is expected to surpass the one million-bag target from the 32,500 acres under cultivation.