Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud yesterday assured rice exporters that their supplies would be bought, despite mixed signals from Jamaica on its ability to meet an agreed quota this year.
“The rice available for export … all of it will be taken up,” he told a room full of exporters at the start of a special meeting at the Ministry. He said while Guyana has ensured that there are adequate quantities available for the Jamaican market, the island has been sending mixed signals. Nevertheless, he said based on his communication with Jamaica Trade Minister Karl Samuda the Jamaican government seems inclined to buy from Guyana and remains committed to ensure that their importers source their supplies accordingly.
Jamaica agreed to source approximately 60, 000 MT of rice from Guyana this year. But last week, Samuda was widely reported by the island press as saying that Jamaica had filled its quota for the year and would be unable to buy roughly 30,000 MT set aside by exporters here. With thousands of tonnes of rice for export and no guaranteed buyers, exporters have been nervous about the security of the Jamaican market.
Persaud was optimistic that purchases would continue until the end of the year. He noted that Guyana is only seven tonnes behind the export figure for the corresponding period last year and he mentioned that Jamaican importers are currently in Guyana securing contracts for shipments.
Meanwhile, he said aggressive moves are being made to enter non-traditional markets, like Panama in Central America and Poland in Europe as well as Africa. He added that there also attempts to expand market share in Haiti and mentioned too that the UN’s World Food Programme has inquired about sourcing rice here.
Persaud also emphasised that it is important to ensure that the country gets the best price for its rice. To this end, he called for a functioning Rice Millers and Exporters Development Association, which he said could be used to lobby for higher prices. He added that an organized body might have also helped industry stakeholders to prepare or even prevent the problems being experienced with the Jamaica market.
In addition to the best price for rice, Persaud urged exporters to adopt different approaches, noting that there would be a dip in rice prices. He, however, cautioned against taking advantage of farmers on paddy prices. ”We must ensure everyone gets a fair and affordable deal,” he said.
Although Jamaica has agreed in principle to source its rice purchases from Guyana, the government cannot legally guarantee purchase since importation of rice is a private sector trade on behalf of the government. The setting up of the Jamaica Commodity Trading Corporation is expected to remedy this problem although it is uncertain when it will become operational. Persaud said the government hopes that Jamaica will see it fit to maximise the quantities its sources from Guyana and meet its commitments to the Caricom Single Market. General Secretary of the Rice Producers Association (RPA) Dharamkumar Seeraj and General Secretary of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) Jagnarine Singh accompanied Persaud at the meeting.
