The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs will be providing rice hulling machines to several hinterland communities as efforts move apace to boost agricultural production in those areas.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that under a rice project funded by Spain, communities located in South Central and Deep South Rupununi will benefit from the programme. It is expected that the programme will build the capacity of the villages to produce their own rice.
The machines will be given to communities such as Shea and Achawib, Deep South Rupununi, Region Nine and others in Region Ten. Through the implementation of a $43M hinterland rice project under the purview of the agriculture ministry, several Amerindian communities in regions eight and nine have already benefited. Since its implementation the project has also benefited from assistance from the Guyana Rice Development Board and the National Agricultural Research Institute.
Karaudarnau community located in the Deep South Rupununi Region Nine has also received a machine. Toshao Arnold Stephens said since its operations over the past three years, the machine has produced about 20,000 tonnes of paddy from where the rice was sourced for the ‘Hot meal’ hinterland school feeding programme. “Since we acquire the rice huller, farmers have been increasing their production…it benefits the community and encourages farmers to produce more,” he said.