(De Ware Tijd) – Suriname and Guyana remain the main suppliers of rice to Jamaica and the other CARICOM member states. Jamaica’s second request to obtain permission from the regional trade council COTED to import rice from the USA was rejected. This is confirmed by the national coordinator for the rice sector, Badresein Sital. Although Sital is pleased with COTED’s decision, he is not in a jubilant mood. “CARICOM has its benefits, but there should be fair competition. Our competitive position is being undermined in a consequent and structural manner. This is not the first time they have tried this, and Suriname and Guyana are punished all the time within CARICOM, while the big member states get a pass”, Sital says. The region’s demand for rice is 400,000 tons. Jamaica need not look outside CARICOM to import rice. “With an annual production of 600,000 tons, Suriname and Guyana can meet the region’s total demand”, Sital adds.
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