THE Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) held an interactive session with rice farmers in Region Two on Friday to showcase the performance of the candidate rice variety G-14-10.

The event took place at Rafeek Khan’s property in La Belle Alliance, where the variety is being grown on a 6.5-acre trial plot.

This new variety is expected to yield 120 lbs of seed rate per acre.

Speaking to a group of farmers, GRDB General Manager Badrie Persaud emphasised that the G-14-10 variety promises higher yields, greater resistance to disease, and enhanced nutritional benefits.

Persaud also used the opportunity to highlight the GRDB’s commitment to developing new varieties tailored to Guyana’s different climatic conditions.

This session marked the final interactive meeting before the official release of the G-14-10 variety to farmers.

Persaud noted that the rice industry is now in a stronger position compared to previous years, with new rice varieties offering farmers the potential for higher paddy yields.

GRDB’s Chief Scientist and Plant Breeder, Mahendra Persaud, expressed gratitude to Rafeek Khan for allowing the use of his plot for the trial.

He stressed the importance of these interactive sessions, noting that they provide valuable farmer feedback for further research.

He also confirmed that the candidate variety will be introduced next month, following similar consultations across Guyana’s rice-growing regions.

According to the scientist, the G-14-10 variety was developed through a breeding line from Colombia combined with local Guyanese stock.

The variety is noted for its high-yield potential, producing over nine tons per hectare, and for being tougher and faster maturing than other varieties such as GRDB 10 and 16.

Additionally, it has been proven to delay harvesting by 16 days without compromising grain quality, showing excellent milling-recovery rates.

Meanwhile, Khan, who owns over 300 acres of rice land, expressed his satisfaction with partnering with GRDB on this initiative.

He stated that higher-yielding varieties mean more profits for farmers and he confirmed his intention to use the G-14-10 variety in more of his fields.

Essequibo was the final stop for these interactive sessions before the release of the rice variety to farmers.

During Friday’s session, farmers had the chance to ask questions about the variety and visit the trial field.