A record-breaking 725,282 metric tonnes of rice produced in 2024
With the production of 725,282 metric tonnes of rice in 2024, Guyana has surpassed its target and achieved a record-breaking milestone in its agriculture sector.
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha made the announcement during his ministry’s year-end press conference on Monday.
“I want to say that this is a record-breaking production since the introduction of rice production in our country. We have increased yield from 5.7 tonnes in 2020 to 6.6 tonnes per hectare in 2024,” the agriculture minister said.
In 2024, Guyana exported 425,490 metric tonnes of rice and by-products to 30 countries. The overall value of was USD$254 million.
Meanwhile, the country also secured new export markets, further boosting its agricultural profile.
Minister Mustapha further noted that over the past four years, rice production has seen a steady increase.
In 2021, Guyana produced a total of 569,789 metric tonnes of rice. The amount increased in 2022 to 610,595 tonnes and in 2023, 653,706 metric tonnes of rice was harvested.
The staggering increase in rice production was a result of the introduction of four new rice varieties over the past four years.
“For the year 2024 we have developed the new GRD 18 with a yield potential of seven to nine tons per hectare. And this was launched in October of 2024. Since 2020 we have released three other varieties including GRDB 16, GRDB 18 and the Bio-fortified rice, which is GRDB 17,” Minister Mustapha explained.
All of the new rice varieties have a yield potential between seven to nine tonnes per hectare.
The attribution of increased rice production also includes the improvement in the capacity of the various seed-paddy facilities throughout the country.
They include facilities at Burma and Mahaica/Mahaicony Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) in Region Five and Black Bush Polder and Number 56 Village in Region Six. These facilities can produce 152 bags of paddy per annum.
The agriculture minister said that the tremendous improvement reflects the government’s commitment to boosting agricultural production in the country.
In 2024, the ministry was allocated a sum of $97.6 billion to help improve efficiency and the management of its rice sector.