New high-yielding ‘GRDB 18’ rice variety launched

A new high-yielding rice variety known as ‘GRDB 18,’ was launched on Monday by the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB).

The new variety was launched at a rice field in Nooten Zuil, East Coast Demerara, where a trial was conducted by A. Sabastian, a farmer that owns 4.5 acres of land.

At the launch, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, stated that this new variety reflects the government’s commitment to keeping agriculture at the forefront of modernisation and sustainability through innovation and technology.

“This variety is very tolerant to water lodging which is crucial for maintaining high-quality harvest…Additionally, it has developed superior grain quality, ensuring that we can compete effectively in both the local and international markets,” the minister stated.

Minister Mustapha noted that within four years, the board has managed to launch two rice varieties. GRDB 16 was introduced into the market in 2020.

The minister challenged the board to develop another high-yielding rice variety that offers better quality and that will increase rice production by next November

“We have to ensure that we work and commit ourselves to include best practices to transform the rice industry…In the coming years, I am hoping that we can extend our market to about 50 more countries,” the agriculture minister said.

Madanlall Ramraj, the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasised that varietal development is crucial for increasing rice production in the country.

The director general disclosed that the rice industry is valued at $100 billion, with over $42 billion worth of seed paddy sold to mills last year.

He also mentioned that exports from mills to other countries amounted to $44 billion, with billions of dollars more in local sales, drainage, irrigation, and machinery.

“We will continue to work to ensure that the farming community benefits from the intervention of the Ministry of Agriculture,” Ramraj stated.

Meanwhile, Mahendra Persaud, Chief Scientist at GRDB, reported that after 120 trials, there has been no decline in rice recovery.

“We have seen from all those trials the average is around 7.2 tons per hectare, that is around 45 bags per acre. So, in terms of the yield potential, the candidate variety is good,” the scientist noted.

The new variety can withstand late harvesting of 10 to 15 days and endure harsh conditions such as drought, offering hope for improved resilience in the rice sector.