The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) yesterday said that no financial assistance was given to Jamaica for a rice seed nursery and no official from the agency will be visiting the island in connection with this.
The GRDB was responding to a report in yesterday’s Sunday Stabroek which sourced the information to a Jamaican government official. Director of the Agricultural Support Project of Jamaica’s Ministry of Agriculture, Hershell Brown had said that US$10,000 would be provided and that a GRDB officer would be visiting to assist with seed production. Brown provided the information during the Agricultural Investment Forum held in Georgetown over the weekend.
In its statement yesterday, the GRDB said however that it was in discussion with the “Jamaican authority to look at ways that Guyana can assist that country in the cultivation of rice for their domestic purposes”.
Based on its investigation, the GRDB said that Regional Coordinator of the Caribbean Rice Association, Hasim Hussain is in touch with the Jamaican officials since he acts as an advisor to the Jamaicans on rice matters.
The GRDB said that rice farmers across the country have become alarmed at the news item and added that the priority of the agency is the interest of the local rice farmers and should it offer assistance to Jamaica it would be made known here.
Guyana and Jamaica recently clashed over the latter’s bid to have the Common External Tariff waived on rice imports from the US. Guyana objected strenuously and following discussions between President Bharrat Jagdeo and Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding an agreement was reached on a minimum amount of rice to be purchased by Kingston from Guyana.
