–with necessary investments, new markets says ‘agri’ minister

INCREASED investments and access to new markets have cleared a path for the production of rice to be doubled within the next five years.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha has said that the conditions are right for the Government of Guyana to double production, and increase exports of this commodity within five years. Hungary and Guyana, two of the new markets being serviced by Guyana, together received some 250 tonnes of white rice last year.
Minister Mustapha said, too, that with the recent exports to the Caribbean, there are clear indications that more persons are interested in Guyana’s rice. To this end, the government is investing heavily to ensure there is sufficient rice for new markets.

And with the push for public-private partnerships, the Ministry of Agriculture is currently collaborating with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to examine the possibility of producing a zinc candidate bio-fortified rice variety.
Minister Mustapha relayed that the project, which is currently ongoing at the Burma Rice Research Station in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), would allow Guyana to access preferential prices for rice. The minister further said that some 4,650 farmers nationwide, and thousands more in CARICOM are expected to benefit from this project. Last October, Minister Mustapha launched the GRDB-16 rice variety for cultivation. The GRDB-16 produces much better yields, which is set between 30 and 60 bags per acre. This variety can see farmers producing up to 9.5 tonnes of paddy per hectare.
“Rice is the government’s business, and we will work to see the industry flourish. We assessed the rice industry and found that our rice farmers were enduring many challenges.

“Farmers were required to pay increased land and drainage and irrigation fees, especially those in Region Five. That region is one of the most productive agricultural regions in Guyana, producing 43 per cent of national rice production. This has placed the farmers, especially the rice farmers, under severe duress over the past years,” he said. To alleviate some of the hardships faced by farmers in Region Five, the government has reversed the drainage and irrigation charges to the original rates.
The Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary-Agriculture Development Authority (MMA/ADA) rates were also decreased from $15,000 per acre to $3,500 per acre. This single measure immediately left an average of $1.3 billion in the hands of farmers.

Minister Mustapha noted that even though the previous government had increased the fees, the drainage and irrigation structures and access dams were not maintained. He said the neglect of infrastructure by the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition administration was unconscionable, and caused rice farmers unnecessary hardships.
The Minister noted that since August 2020, the MMA-ADA was able to repair six bridges and three sluices, saving about 96,000 acres of rice from rot. Additionally, the MMA-ADA was able to grade and maintain 200 miles of dams and access roads. The scheme also cleared over 60 miles of secondary drainage. The cleaning and maintenance of 608 miles canals were also done per month. (DPI)