–in just two months; over 5,000 hectares harvested so far

ONE of Guyana’s most lucrative traditional sectors, rice, continues to show positive prospects for the nation, raking in over US$13 million (G$2B) in just two months.
The rice sector has earned exactly US$13,497,660 from the exportation of some 28,936 tonnes of paddy, rice, and rice by-products between January and February, 2021. In Guyana, rice is an important source of livelihood, in that approximately 6,020 farmers produce the grain in several regions throughout Guyana. There are 43 licenced rice millers, and 22 registered exporters of rice. Rice accounts for 3.3 per cent of Guyana’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and 20.5 per cent of its GDP agriculture-wise. Should there be no hindrances, the sector will again contribute significantly to local growth this year, with stakeholders looking to export 649,480 tonnes of paddy, rice and rice-by products, valued close to US$257.3 million.

The sector has already shown its resilience, having successfully navigated 2020, a year plagued by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and a protracted electoral process. At the end of last year, the sector raked in US$236.2 million from the exportation of 574,312 tonnes of paddy, rice and rice by-products.
During 2020 (January-December), Guyana exported rice and rice products to 40 countries. The major importing countries were Jamaica, Trinidad, Belgium, Holland, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Columbia, Haiti, Honduras, and Venezuela.
At the time, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha had said he was confident that Guyana will attract new markets for rice exports, as production yields climb.
The minister was even quoted as saying that the government is seeking to establish new market opportunities, and to increase exports to existing markets.
“We are seeing more interest in other parts of Asia and Europe, so we are working on new markets, and we will have new markets,” Minister Mustapha said.

Rice exports to North America have increased tremendously, with 3,624 tonnes being shipped to the US in 2020, between January and October, compared to the 453 tonnes sold for the same period the previous year. Minister Mustapha had also said that more persons are interested in Guyana’s rice, and that he expects that with the anticipated rice production in 2021, there will be sufficient supplies for new markets. As it is now, the sector is already setting the foundation to be able to supply the existing demand for rice. According to Minister Mustapha, the harvesting of paddy is ongoing in all of Guyana’s rice-producing regions.
“A total of 5,218 hectares have been harvested, producing 488,901 bags of paddy at 5.5 tonnes per hectare,” the minister said, adding that some 94,039 hectares have already been sown. It was reported recently that Guyana’s newest rice variety, GRDB16, has the potential to increase Guyana’s rice output significantly, as the government looks to use this crop to help ensure the country’s development.

Based on past reports, this variety of rice has the potential of producing up to 60 bags per acre, which is equivalent to an average nine tonnes per hectare. The GRDB16 has already demonstrated several qualities that have been desired by rice farmers for a number of years.
The GRDB16 had the characteristics of a premium game-changing variety which maintained its greenness throughout the crop, didn’t lodge as fast as the other varieties, and can come through standing water of up to nine inches. It was also noted that the GRDB16 takes only 110 days to reach maturity.
For the past 15 years, the GRDB has been releasing new varieties of rice to farmers, with each successive one demonstrating improved characteristics over its predecessor.