AGRICULTURE Minister Noel Holder has said the new varieties of rice released to farmers countrywide earlier this year will contribute significantly to improving the productivity of that commodity over the next few years.Having recently briefed the media on the Agriculture Ministry’s performance and achievements since the coalition government’s election to office, Minister Holder said it is expected that the GRDB 12 (Guyana Rice Development Board), GRDB 13 and GRDB 14 will continue to expand in acreage in 2016.

500 VARIETIE”
Meanwhile, the minister reported that the GRDB will be implementing a proactive programme to manage “red rice.” Comprehensive studies will be done on the paddy bug menace and its management to reduce losses. The ministry is expected to access at least 500 varieties of paddy from international research institutes and centres in 2016.

During 2015, the rice industry continued to perform favourably, despite marketing challenges. As at December 16, 2015, paddy production stood at 1,051,563 tonnes, equivalent to 683,516 tonnes of rice. This figure was 48,278 tonnes or 7.60% higher than the production of paddy and rice for 2014.

In 2014, paddy production stood at 977,289 tonnes, the equivalent of 635,238 tonnes of rice. For the period January-December 16, 2015, exports stood at 510,807 tonnes, compared with 501,208 tonnes for 2014. Despite the increase in the volume of exports for this period, the value is 15% lower than the 2014 value.

For the period January to December 16, 2015, the value of exports was US$211,834,746, compared to US$249,504,955 for 2014.

In the areas of research capacity, both the GRDB 14 variety and the aromatic variety were released, along with their production package for commercial cultivation by farmers in the spring of 2015.

Nineteen advanced breeding lines are currently being tested in advanced yield trials in four locations across the country. These candidate varieties will be tested in farmers’ fields, and if found suitable, will be released.

Sixty-five advanced breeding lines are currently being tested at the Rice Research Station at Burma. Each season, over 4,000 breeding lines are studied by the team at the Research Station.

The extension arm of the GRDB continues to give support to local farmers countrywide in areas of best practices, problem-solving, management, and decision-making. Extension officers have been exposed to training in paddy bug management, cost of production, extension communication, organisation, leadership and management, as well as seed improvement and weight determination at mills.

With regard to the Farmers Field Schools, 58 such exercises were conducted in 2015, exposing farmers to best practices. Ten were held in Region Two; 16 in Region Three; 2 in Region Four; 16 in Region Five, and 14 in Region Six.

With respect to quality control, 57 mills have been licensed as at November 2015, and 101 licensed graders are at present operating at mills countrywide.