As was predicted by Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy, the target for the

current rice crop has been surpassed with 75% of harvesting completed.
This is perhaps the first time in our history that the target has been surpassed with 75% of harvesting completed.
The target was set at 206,000 tonnes, but already, some 210,000 tonnes have been produced with harvesting of 25% of cultivated lands remaining;with the onset of the rainy season however, some of that could be adversely affected.
So it is another exciting and encouraging time for our rice industry and all stakeholders need to be highly commended for another sterling performance, particularly our resilient and hard-working rice farmers who are the backbone of the industry.
If we have an equally good or better second crop, then annual rice production could near the 500,000 tonne-mark which would be yet another record for the industry. Of course, the weather will be a key factor in whether this is achieved or not, because we have observed some really unusual weather patterns in recent years, attributed largely to global warming.
But while we celebrate the huge success of the industry, it is also important not to become complacent and rather to focus on the new challenges that come with increased production and also to deal with the remaining irritants which affect our farmers, because if we don’t, then it could lead to frustration which could result in a reversal of the huge success the industry has been experiencing in recent years.
One of the challenges that come with increasing production is transportation and storage capacity;and therefore this needs to looked into with a view to find a long- term solution rather than a makeshift one, because clearly rice production will continue t increase.
Very important too is the need to find new markets, because our local market is a small one. It makes no sense increasing production with a static market.
Dr Ramsammy has alluded to this, pointing out that while our traditional markets including Europe, Jamaica, Trinidad and other Caribbean countries
are secure, as production grows additional markets will have to be secured.
“We expect to be selling rice in these markets for a very long time, but we also expect that we will have to add to those markets so we have been quietly exploring markets in other countries,” he said.
The issue of drying floors is another pressing matter as it is impracticable and dangerous for farmers to be drying paddy on the roadways, because our road traffic has boomed in recent years.
The Agriculture Minister has conceded that the investment in drying floors is a huge one and would be beyond the means of the small farmers and suggested that the government may have to get involved in this and big rice farmers would be encouraged to invest as well. This is certainly the direction in which to go and in addition, commercial banks could be given a special incentive package to facilitate the establishment of a soft-loan lending window specifically for the construction of drying floors.
Grading and prices have been a problematic issue, perhaps since the beginning of the industry in Guyana and while it is not so contentious today as in the past, it is  still one for concern and should be addressed expeditiously. If it is allowed to get out of hand it could become a de-motivating factor for farmers, which in turn could lead to lower production.
So while we consolidate the gains and successes of the rice industry, we need to work towards removing the remaining obstacles to production within the industry, so that it will continue on the current upward path into the future.