Minister of Agriculture Dr Leslie Ramsammy said there has been a gamut of interventions and techniques implemented in the rice sector that has to date produced 12 new flood resistant and drought tolerant species and about 20,000 bags of paddy per acre.
Ramsammy discussed these achievements at the Guyana Rice Development Board’s Open Day activity held at the Burma Rice Research Station in Mahaicony on Wednesday. Scores of farmers from regions Four and Five, agriculture officials and students from the Guyana School of Agriculture attended the exhibition, which provided a firsthand look at procedures which rice varieties are put under before being released.
Ramsammy hailed the Open Day workshop as an opportunity to publicly salute rice farmers for their achievements over the years, including producing enough for local and international obligations, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported. Rice production has been increasing despite the challenges of adverse weather conditions. In 2011, there was a record 400,000 tonnes of rice produced.
The Burma station is accelerating its programme and has produced about 12 new varieties of rice since 1995, with the most productive in yields, according to farmers, being GRDB 9, 10, 11 and 12.
Ramsammy hailed the work of researchers, as their expertise has seen varieties being produced which are now flood resistant and drought tolerant. “Once this is embarked upon, within a short period, 500,000 tonnes of rice can be easily produced… we are a rice producing country, who supplies other countries, and going this way will enable Guyana to reduce importation,” he said.
Ramsammy also warned millers who have been habitually withholding payment for paddy from rice farmers to cease or risk being dealt with very severely. “Arrangements are presently being put in place for farmers to be paid within a matter of weeks by a certain rice miller who has been guilty of this,” he said, adding that the ministry continues to work to better serve rice farmers. Over the years, the Mahaicony Rice Mill has been accused of withholding payment and former agriculture minister Robert Persaud had intervened and set up a separate account to hold all proceedings from rice transactions. The account was managed jointly by the entity and government, GINA said.
With regard to drainage and dam maintenance, the minister said these features are critical to the rice industry and urged farmers to collaborate to ensure equity in services provided by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority.
Meanwhile, in giving a brief review of the sector’s performance, Regional Chairman Bindranauth Bisnauth said farmers are now producing about 20,000 bags of paddy per acre when prior to 1995 they produced less than 2,000 bags per acre. At the close of the session, officials toured the labs at the Burma station.
