GIVEN the challenge farmers in the Rupununi face in cultivating cassava, particularly in the long dry season, the Guyana Rice Development Board, (GRDB) has commenced a rice demonstration project aimed at supplementing their cassava production.

The project was piloted in two villages: Moco Moco and Quarrie, both in Central Rupununi. According to the GRDB’s Rice and Beans Coordinator stationed in St Ignatius, Wilfree NCinroy, it was the Toshaos from the villages who requested assistance with the cultivation of a supplement staple. “These Toshaos approached us and said they wanted to produce some rice in the village, so we took on the challenge,” he said. “It is a demonstration where we enlighten people about planting rice. We are not the one that will benefit, they will benefit; we are doing it to help them.”

In Shulinab, there is currently two acreage of 36 day-old rice cultivation while in Quarrie, there is one acreage of 44 day-old cultivation. The grade of rice being cultivated is the GRDB 15 and the GRDB 10. Quarrie’s Senior Counsel, Phillip Barreto, expressed appreciation for the project coming to his small village. “We have an acre plus of rice cultivation there now. At the first try we see this could be done, so it is like an experience for us, and I want to believe this will help in our staple food, it will help the cassava because normally, we only use the cassava as a staple diet and we see now the rice will come in and we are hoping next year we will have a bigger production, and I am seeing that happening,” the SC posited.

NCinroy related that the GRDB is currently testing the soil in other villages to ascertain whether it is rice cultivation-friendly as there are plans to expand the demonstration project in other villages in the Rupununi. Prior to this project, rice was only cultivated in Moco Moco and Santa Fe, in Region Nine.

The agricultural officials affirmed that rice consumption has increased in the Rupununi; thus there is an increase in rice being imported into the region, from the Coastland and even from Brazil. With Rupununi upping its rice production, this is expected to have a domino effect on the development of the agricultural sector in the region. In addition to rice, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) has commenced a breadfruit project in the region as another supplement staple for villagers.

With climate change, the Rupununi is experiencing sporadic climate conditions, with the dry season lasting longer than it used to. In 2015, residents said that there was no rain fall for an entire year. Cultivation of critical crops has decreased and efforts are being made to tackle this. In addition to the above mentioned projects, the Ministry of Agriculture has also commenced a water catchment project to assist farmers in the dry season. Several villages have already benefited. These include Rupertee, Quarrie, Annai, Massarra and Toka.