– as GRDB launches improved rice varieties

THE role that science and technology has played in the growth and development of Guyana’s rice industry is significant, and President Donald Ramotar yesterday pledged Government’s continued support for the industry’s advancement using knowledge and expertise.Rice is a vital contributor to the nation’s economy, and over 120,000 Guyanese have their livelihood rooted in the industry.

Though there are tremendous gains in the industry, in terms of production and productivity, President Ramotar said that, “We have to recognise that we are a small player on the international market, and we are price takers…and we don’t determine international prices, and therefore it means that we have to do things in order to make sure our viability, we have to do things more efficiently.”

Speaking at the launch of two improved rice varieties by the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), yesterday, President Ramotar assured rice farmers of the Government’s unwavering support for the continued growth, development and prosperity of the rice industry.

He said that value added production, plus forms of cooperation which will help keep production costs down and a total commitment to quality assurance, are the three main directions in which the local rice industry has to go to ensure optimal development.
The varieties launched for use by rice farmers were the GRDB 14 and a first for Guyana, namely, the Maria’s Delight Aromatic Rice.
They had been developed by the GRDB’s Burma Rice Research Centre (BRRS) located in the back-lands of Burma, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara and the formal launch took place at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), Liliendaal, in the presence of senior officials in the agricultural sector, a large number of rice farmers from the rice-growing administrative regions and members of the Diplomatic Corps.
The GRDB 14 variety was bred to be resistant to lodging, sometimes a major source of loss to rice farmers as well as higher yields per acre than any existing variety; while the Maria’s Delight is an aromatic variety with a distinctive, pleasant aroma and is very popular on international markets.
The higher yields are intended to boost productivity and value for rice farmers, while the aromatic rice is in almost unlimited demand worldwide, the GRDB scientists said.
Speaking on the importance of value- added production, President Ramotar said that rice makes excellent breakfast cereal and the rice husk which is normally disposed of by burning can be used for energy generation, thereby bringing in new streams of revenue and reduction in operational costs, even when international market prices are depressed.
He said too that he has always held the view that the rice industry was over capitalised.

“People want to own things. A rice farmer wants his own tractor, even though he may only have five acres of land and even though he may consequently be using the tractor only four weeks a year.”
He said that the Rice Producers Association (RPA) particularly should look at organisational ways of networking and cooperation to help farmers increase their revenue without making great expenditure.
“Let’s see if we can start thinking of pooling of resources in some way; by demonstrating the benefits of some level of cooperation which increases efficiency and leaves more money in their pockets at the end of the day,’” he said.
He told the audience that there should be no compromise on the quality of production.
“Quality is what will ensure that our market share internationally can go up and quality will give those who bargain for us strength, so that they can bargain successfully for higher prices. Quality must not be compromised for any reason,” he said.
He assured the audience of Government‘s unwavering commitment to continue to take the rice industry to greater heights.
Dr. Mahendra Persaud, Chief Scientist /Plant Breeder at the (BRRS) said that developing new varieties was a continuous process, because variety determined the final quality and quantity of the product since no plant could produce in excess of its built- in genetic capabilities.
He said: “If a variety can give you only six tonnes per hectare regardless of what we do or what the farmers do, it is not going to give you seven tonnes per hectare.”
Hence, apart from market preferences and changing pests and diseases, higher yields per acre were the prime reason for the development of newer and better varieties.
The GRDB 14 and the Maria’s Delight had been field -tested by farmers and both had received favourable comments.
They found that the GRDB 14 was an excellent grower in terms of germination and establishment in the field; it was a very good emerger from standing water as much as six inches deep; it tillers very quickly covering the field and thereby killing weeds; it has over 200 grains per panicle, making it very high- yielding. It is also blast- resistant and does not lodge.
Additionally, the milling recovery and cooking qualities are excellent.
The Maria’s Delight Aromatic Rice Plant, he said, was also high- yielding, giving up to 45 bags per acre; the plant type was robust and resistant to blast as well as lodging; it had excellent milling and cooking qualities and there was uniform expression of the aroma.
Most importantly, it was a high- priced item.

He said: “We can very well say that the progress that we are going to make in aromatic breeding and how well we are going to market it internationally could be the crucial factor in how the industry performs in the coming years, since the price of aromatic rice is usually more than double that paid for other varieties.”
Meanwhile, General Secretary of the Rice Producers Association took pains to point out that neither of the two varieties was a Genetically Modified Organism.(GMOs).
He said that the varieties were hybrids arrived at by cross-breeding.
“We just taking genes from the best varieties and putting them together. We don’t take any foreign genes from any foreign species.”
Popular Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice rice farmer, Mohamed Zrafeeoodeen, one of the farmers who participated in the field- testing of the varieties, said they had performed well.
He thanked the BRRS for developing the two varieties and for making them available to the nation’s rice farmers.
Madanlall Ramraj, Deputy General Manager of the GRDB, spoke on marketing of the aromatic rice while Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Ali Baksh, spoke about the continuous growth of the industry over the past 20 years.
The launching ceremony ended with presentations from the GRDB to President Ramotar in appreciation of the Government’s continued support to the rice industry; to Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Ali Baksh for the support of the Ministry of Agriculture to the GRDB; and to the research team at Burma for their dedicated and commendable performance in the development of new and improved varieties of rice plants.
The presentation to the team at the BRRS was made by President Ramotar and was received by Team Head, Dr. Mahendra Persaud.