Millers should pay farmers paddy prices similar to those paid for the last crop of 2012 because conditions of sale as well as prices in the current rice pact with Venezuela are similar to those in the previous agreement, Minister of Agriculture Dr Leslie Ramsammy said in a release yesterday.
Ramsammy and a team of officials in addition to members of the Guyana Rice Development Board and the Rice Producers’ Association visited Venezuela last week where the release said they “successfully finalized all arrangements for the commencement of [the] shipment of paddy to that State.” The minister adverted to the fact that while maintaining prices, the agreement had been amended to increase the amount of rice exported and reduce the quota of paddy.
The minister said it had been agreed by both sides that the export of rice and paddy would begin almost immediately and continue until early August for the first crop. He went on to say that the first rice shipment would be exported on May 23 and it was expected the first shipment of paddy would take place on May 28.
The expectation was that around 100,000 tonnes of rice and paddy would be sent in this period to Venezuela, Ramsammy said.
The release also referred to discussions during the meetings about the importation of fertilizer from Venezuela.
The Ministry of Agricul-ture would continue these discussions, Ramsammy said, in order to provide Guyana with another option for sourcing fertilizer.
