Harvesting of the spring crop of rice is 70 per cent complete and export to date is over 61,000 tonnes at a value of over US$35 million. The 2013 spring crop is said to be the largest yet.
The Rice Producers Association has stated that 201,621 acres have already been sowed and harvested compared to 2012 figures of 184,000 acres. The average yield is 5.4 tonnes per hectare versus the 2012 average of 4.4 tonnes per hectare. So far Region Six is performing the poorest. However at 77 per cent completion the average yield is still greater than last year’s and is 4.9 tonnes per hectares.
General Secretary of the RPA Dharamkumar Seeraj stated that “we have seen an increase in acreage sowed by 10 per cent and an increase in yield by 23 per cent”. He said the first crop for 2012 was valued at US$43 million in total and the sector was well on its way to beating that price.
Seeraj stated that the various regions were seeing yields that were well above the average of last year’s and pointed out that Region Four had a 6.5 tonne per hectare yield so far at 79 per cent completed harvest. Region Five is currently at 52 per cent harvest completion, while Region Two is at 87 per cent and Region Three is at 82 per cent. The RPA representatives noted that because of the higher yields export has increased to smaller regional markets with the exception of Venezuela.
In the height of the sector’s prosperity, however, Seeraj noted, the paddy bug infestation has decimated the crop in Region Two. “We have some farmers who have, due to pest infestation, mainly been getting a high percentage of damaged grain as much as 80% in some cases.”
The RPA noted that this has resulted in millers not purchasing the paddy or offering prices well below the $4,000 per bag of paddy for Grade A product. Farmers have subsequently lodged complaints and in the case of the Essequibo, farmers taken to protesting. Seeraj stated that the high volume of paddy has brought about another issue, the lack of adequate venues for the drying process. In the case of Region Three, with only one facility, farmers are patiently waiting. The RPA regional representative stated that the millers in the area are currently working alongside farmers to formulate a better system of processing and drying paddy. He stated that it was combined effort.
The RPA has stated that it will continue to work alongside the ministry and the Guyana Rice Development Board to solicit information from farmers through a damage assessment form. Leeka Rambrich a member of the RPA stated that through the collection of information, recommendations can be made for the second crop to prevent farmers from receiving late payments.
The damage assessment form is inclusive of how much acres farmers planted, their average yield, the amount millers are paying for paddy and even how much farmland is being rented for.
Essequibo farmers made their way to Parliament on Wednesday to speak with Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy; they were asking for support and answers. Farmers stated that they had issues with millers, representation from the RPA and the GRDB.
