AGRICULTURE Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Monday officially released the GRDB-18 rice variety for commercial cultivation at Nooten Zuil, East Coast Demerara.
The new variety is set to be a game changer for the local rice sector, as it has the potential to produce approximately nine tonnes per hectare, is tolerant to lodging and delayed harvesting for up to fifteen days, and is blast-resistant.
While offering remarks at the launch, Minister Mustapha said that the introduction of this new variety highlights the government’s continued dedication to the rice sector, and is a shining example of the progress being made to ensure the nation’s food security.
“The GRDB 18 variety has been meticulously bred to meet the unique challenges faced by our rice farmers. With the potential to yield between seven and nine tonnes per hectare, it is on par with other popular high-yielding varieties,” Minister Mustapha said, adding:
“Also, it not only boasts excellent tolerance to water lodging, which is crucial for maintaining high-quality harvests, but it ensures that our agricultural sector remains resilient in the face of climate change and other adversities. By introducing this candidate variety of rice, we are paving the way for greater productivity and food security; it underscores the fact that innovation and technology are key drivers in transforming our agricultural landscape and ensuring that we can meet the challenges of tomorrow head-on.”
Minister Mustapha also reported that rice production in Guyana has increased considerably over the past five years.
“We heard the target for this year, and we’ve seen rice production increase tremendously. Prior to 2020, farmers would reap an average of 36 bags per acre. Today, the average is between 40-42 bags per acre, and, with good agronomic practices, farmers are reaping more. We’ve moved production from 5.9 tonnes per hectare to about 6.6 to 6.7 tonnes per hectare,” he said.
“I’m hoping that by the first crop of 2025, we can move that to about 6.9 tonnes per hectare. The government’s policy is that by 2030, we must be a large producer of rice, exporting to about 50 different markets globally. For the first time in the history of this country, rice production is expected to surpass the 700,000 tonnes mark by the end of this year,” he added.
GRDB’s Chief Scientist Dr. Mahendra Persaud said that in developing this new variety, a number of factors were considered.
“Since 2010, the GRDB has embarked on a programme, taking into consideration the challenges Guyana’s farmers continue to face. From the breeding perspective, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to achieve our objectives,” Dr. Persaud said, adding:
“Whatever conditions we have in Guyana, we have to develop plants that will perform well for our farmers. This candidate variety is mixed with different genetic backgrounds, both local and foreign. When developing this variety, we didn’t only consider yields, but also the environmental challenges. We conducted between sixty to seventy yield trials, plus another fifty to sixty on-farm trials across Guyana. From those tests, we’ve concluded that this variety can yield up to nine tonnes per hectare. From those trials, we’ve seen that the average is around 7.2 tonnes per hectare which is equivalent to about forty-five bags per acre.”
This new high-yielding variety is the third variety launched in less than four years, and represents the government’s commitment to research and innovation to boost the rice industry.
In 2020, Minister Mustapha launched the GRDB -16, a variety with the potential to produce up to 60 bags per acre. Last October, the government launched the GRDB-IICA 17 Biofortified variety. (Ministry of Agriculture)