GUYANA currently exports some 110,000 tonnes of rice and 80,000 tonnes of paddy to Venezuela,

and head of the Guyana Rice Producers Association (RPA), Dharamkumar Seeraj, told the Guyana Chronicle that negotiations to expand Guyana’s trading with its western neighbour are encouraging.

“We have finished supplying the paddy quota, and this week we continue to export rice. We expect to ship 6,000 tonnes of white rice this week,” Seeraj said.

He added that the rice quota is expected to be filled by the first half of January 2014, and maintained that the fortunes of the rice sector are undoubtedly on the upswing.

In an earlier interview with this publication, Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy had disclosed that a three-pronged approach to increasing exports in the rice sector worked as follows: increasing the market share in countries that have agreements with Guyana; re-entering old markets where the country once had a meaningful presence; and securing new markets.

Dr Ramsammy had said that efforts are underway to have not only Venezuela, but Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, as well as countries in Europe, review existing agreements with Guyana for paddy and rice exports.

Dr Ramsammy explained that the Caribbean countries and Venezuela currently import rice from other countries besides Guyana, and there is an opportunity to secure greater shares in these existing markets.

He pointed out that in the case of Haiti, since that country had experienced that devastating earthquake, much of the rice entering Haiti was in the form of aid; but with the country in a position to purchase its own rice, Guyana can take advantage of that situation and exploit that market.

Dr Ramsammy said Guyana is in discussion with several other countries to secure new export agreements. He contended that the promotion of private-sector to private-sector agreements is another way to boost Guyana’s rice exports.
Rice production for 2013 stands at 532,000 tonnes, which is far above the original target of 413,000 tonnes. This production reflects an increase of over 25 per cent of the 2012 production. In 2011, the rice sector had surpassed the 400,000-tonne mark for the first time in its history; and it did so again in 2012, exceeding the 2011 production.
Written By Vanessa Narine