OVER the last decade, rice production in Guyana has been increasing steadily, but over the last three years it has leapt to unprecedented and record-breaking levels. In 2011, it passed the 400,000-tonne mark for the first time and in 2012 it did so again, but surpassed the 2011 figure. But the real shocker has happened this year, with the production figure quantum leaping to about 530,000 tonnes, which is an increase of over 25%.

With such an incredible increase in production, all the players within the industry must be commended, particularly our resilient rice farmers, who have had to contend with several serious challenges, especially that of the weather.
The 2005 Great Flood, our worst natural disaster, left a large number of our rice farmers devastated and even after that, periodic unusually heavy rainfall continued to take its toll, particularly on those farmers in Mahaica/Mahaicony communities whenever it became necessary to discharge excess water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy via the Maduni sluice. However, when the Hope Canal is completed this should become a problem of the past, because excess water would be discharged directly into the Atlantic.
The sharp and steady increase in production is not an accident. On the contrary, it has been a result of a multi-faceted approach and interventions, including intensification of farmers’ education and training, greater emphasis on research and development of new varieties that are more disease resistant and higher yielding, and of course massive investments to improve drainage and irrigation, which is fundamental to successful agriculture.
The current upswing of the rice industry, which, if sustained, could see our rice production touching the million-tonne mark in a few years, which would put us in the league of the world’s top producers such as India and the South Asian countries. It also reminds us of an earlier period of the PPP in government,(1957-1964), when rice production increased by 74%.
As a result of the massive success of the agricultural programme, the then opposition dubbed the government a “rice government” and a “coolie government”, because the majority of rice farmers are Indo-Guyanese.
From all indications, the rice industry seems to be on a solid foundation and is set for achieving much greater heights, bringing greater benefits to our national economy and our people.