Rice export earnings were over $43 billion last year

• Despite the devastating economic effects of the unprecedented flooding last year and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international trade, Guyana’s rice exports still secured over $42Bn in earnings for 2021. 
• Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha said the primary focus will be on increased production and rebuilding the sector to improve profitability on a sustainable basis. Towards this end, he said plans are in the pipeline to plant 185,000 hectares that will produce 1,091,500 tonnes of paddy or 709,475 tonnes of rice. 
• Mustapha said there will also be increased attention to maintaining and expanding the marketing and trade of rice and its by-products locally and internationally, as his ministry projects to export 86% of the rice production this year. 
• Additionally, there will be increased research on new varieties and best practices together with quality seed production and mitigating losses due to pests and disease, certification of laboratories and mills will all contribute to this growth. By the autumn crop 2022, he said a new high-yielding candidate variety of paddy with excellent quality traits is expected to be identified and released in the autumn crop of 2024.

 (Source: Kaieteur News)