EVEN with some farmers still reeling from the effects of periodic flooding last year, mechanisms and measures outlined in the government’s fiscal plan, Budget 2022, are expected to serve as a springboard for recovery and advancement in Guyana’s rice industry, which is projected to earn US$288.6 million this year.

Since time immemorial, rice has been described as the mainstay of Guyana’s agriculture sector, with the cultivation of this crop maintaining its spot as a primary economic activity in many rural farming communities.

“We see rice maintaining its importance and increasing its contribution in our economy going forward,” Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, said during his presentation of Budget 2022 to the National Assembly on January 26, 2022.

The government’s immediate priority, as outlined by Dr. Singh, is to help rice farmers recover from the aftermath of the 2021 floods quickly, and then to expand the cultivation of paddy and production of more value-added varieties and products.

In 2022, a total of 185,000 hectares of land are slated for cultivation, with plans to expand by 8,000 hectares to 193,000 hectares by 2026.

“Focus in 2022 will see improved drainage and irrigation to mitigate losses, and expanded research on new high-yielding varieties, and seed production. In that regard, soil-testing facilities were made available to farmers through the construction of a soil laboratory at the Burma Rice Research Station,” Dr. Singh related, adding that a value-added laboratory for rice and rice products was completed in 2021.

Further, this year, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) will expend over $300 million in plant breeding, agronomy, plant pathology, entomology and valued-added products as part of its research and development thrust.

Also, an additional $20 million has been budgeted for the procurement of a seed dryer for Black Bush Polder, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). This equipment will benefit more than 600 rice farmers in the area.

Additionally, a mini-testing mill (polisher) will be acquired to analyse the quality of cargo rice and paddy.

In anticipation of expanded production, six drying floors were constructed in Regions Two, Three, Five and Six in 2021. This year, two additional drying floors will be established in Regions Three and Four.

Owing to the inputs and plans for this year, the rice industry, as outlined in Budget 2022, could grow by 25.1 per cent, a reversal of the 20.5 per cent decline observed last year.

With all the right ingredients for increased production, the next step would be to secure new markets. The country recently acquired markets in the British Virgin Islands, Estonia, and Slovenia.

It was reported recently that with rice production back on stream, Guyana has managed to secure a steadier market from its Caribbean sister-country, Barbados. And with rice prices on the rise, Barbados has reached out to its Caribbean Community (CARICOM) counterpart to organise a more stable agreement.

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, had related that Barbados’ request is for the supply of approximately 3,000 tonnes of rice at a slightly reduced cost, for the period November 2021 to December 2022.

Although Guyana has been exporting rice to Barbados since 1996, Minister Mustapha said that the two countries have been working tirelessly to strengthen bilateral relations, especially as it relates to trade and investments.

The new arrangement, which could possibly be replicated across other sectors, forms part of President Ali’s efforts to increase trade within CARICOM, which will ultimately position Guyana to tap into, and perhaps even reduce the region’s hefty food-importation bill. The government is already aiming to supply at least 25 per cent of the region’s imported products within the next four years.