WHEN reflecting on the achievements in the agriculture sector for last year, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, expounded on the fact that, despite a seven per cent increase in rice production, the industry still retains its status as one of the country’s key national sectors.

Minister Mustapha, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, articulated the government’s satisfaction with the upturn in production between 2022 and 2023.

According to him, “I am pleased to report that, due to the excellent weather conditions for last year, [there was an] increase from 6.2 tonnes per hectare in 2022 to 6.3 tonnes per hectare in 2023. In 2023, export revenue totalled $45.2 billion (US$210 million), an increase of more than $3 billion from 2022. I am also pleased to say that Sierra Leone is one of our new markets for 2023.”

Minister Mustapha further stated that, in October of the previous year, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB IICA) introduced 17 varieties of Zinc-Enriched Rice as a result of the groundbreaking research conducted in collaboration with Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

He also noted that “the Burma Rice Research Station’s Plant Breeding Lab has been rebuilt by Guyana to allow scientists to carry out additional studies and stay on this course. We have invested heavily in the production of rice, and we will continue to do so in this new year. We are focusing on growing the best in our country, and we are making sure that our farmers have access to the best as well.”

Moreover, the agriculture minister conveyed his great pleasure in stating that Guyana is receiving requests from European nations for new market access. According to him, “we also have to consider that nations that typically produce grains and rice on a large scale are also searching for nations similar to our own.”

Minister Mustapha highlighted the need for additional drying floors in Region Five and Region Three to cater to the increased demand for rice production.

He explained, “the construction process of the drying floors at Cotton Tree in Region Five and Hague in Region Three are moving along nicely. After their completion, this will bring the number of drying floors to eight, which were constructed by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) since 2020.”

Minister Mustapha, in addition, explained that the Black Bush Seed Processing Facility, which is currently being operationalised, will provide benefits to 600 farmers through the processing of 6,000 bags of premium seeds.