Over 100,000 tonnes harvested to date

SOME 29 per cent of the first rice crop for 2014 has been harvested, according to Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy in an invited comment yesterday.
He noted that this crop, like consecutive crops, the yield has improved.“We are reaping 5.2 tonnes per heactare, which is about 35 bags per acre,” Ramsammy said.

Asked about prices, he noted that with the assurance of the Venezuelan market, millers are paying farmers between $3,500 and $3,700 per bag.
Following his assurance of the market in the neighbouring country, the minister had called on millers to pay farmers a fair price.
Additionally, Dr Ramsammy stated that some $370M was paid to farmers who were owed by millers.
The agreement to have the ministry facilitate payments to farmers followed engagements with both rice farmers and millers in Guyana’s rice producing regions.
Dr Ramsammy explained that the ministry is in a position to make the payments since the millers who owe famers are suppliers to the Venezuelan market, and once shipping to the neighbouring country commences the monies paid will be recouped.
The minister pointed out that Guyana is competing with a set world market price and does not have much influence on changing those prices.
In terms of new markets, Guyana has already commenced shipping to Haiti, which is taking some 60,000 tonnes, compared to only 1,000 last year, and a shipment of 4,000 tonnes has been made to Belize.
“By any standard, the work we have done to improve our exports is impressive…in the last four years our exports have increased by 100 per cent,” Ramsammy said.
The Ministry of Agriculture’s approach to improving access to markets is centred on a three-pronged approach: 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.
Some 250,000 tonnes is expected to be reaped in this crop and the ministry’s engagement with farmers and millers is continuing.
The minster explained that the ministry is working with millers to reduce their input cost and increase their efficiency to ensure they can get better prices, while work is ongoing with farmers to increase their yield per acre.
“We are producing rice and we have rice to sell, good quality rice to sell….we have to continue our work to ensure that farmers improve their yield and millers access additional markets,” Dr Ramsammy said.
Last year, Guyana exported 398,000 tonnes and this year exports are expected to stand at 475,000 tonnes – a 20 per cent increase.
The production for 2013 was 535,212 tonnes, which was far above the original target of 413,000 tonnes, and reflected a 27 per cent increase over the production in 2012. The average production per hectare is five tonnes.

(By Vanessa Narine)