Rice Shines Through!

– Sector overcoming COVID-19 challenges

– Over 500,000 tons harvested

June 12, 2020: The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) has reported an excellent first crop harvest thus far, yielding 534,000 tonnes of paddy from roughly 98 percent of the crop harvested.

This is despite some farmers having difficulties harvesting due to rains and some farmers harvesting with a high percentage of green paddy.

This represents a continued increase in productivity for rice farmers who have been paying more attention to agronomical practices thanks to the work of the extension arm of the GRDB.

Region 2 produced 74,000 tonnes of paddy, Region 3 42,000 tonnes, Region 4 with 26,000, Region 5 236,000 tonnes and region 6 156,000 tonnes

The national average for the first crop is 5.9 tonnes per hectare or 38 bags per acre. For individual regions, Region Four shines with an average of 7 tonnes per hectare. Next is Region Six with 6.2 tonnes per hectare followed by Region Five with 5.9.

This represents 26,000 tonnes, 156,000 tonnes and 236,000 tonnes of paddy produced respectively. Regions 5 and 6 continued to be the largest rice producers with a combined total of 392,000 tonnes of paddy harvested in the first crop. This continued growth further also indicates that with the current production, farmers are getting greater yield per acreage.

This robust performance is owed to farmers partaking in and adhering to the advice given by the extension arm of the GRDB which was able to carry out approximately 80 percent of its work plan despite the challenges faced due to COVID-19.

General Manager for the GRDB, Nizam Hassan indicated that more than 250 one-on-one agronomical training sessions would have been conducted in May alone in preparation for the second crop.

The GRDB has emphasised the importance of seed treatment, and farmers have been listening. “We want to congratulate those farmers that are adhering to the training, recommendations and best practices and we urge those who have not yet done so, to do so,” Hassan said.

The GRDB continues to stress that seed treatment goes hand in hand with the use of quality seed to ensure greater yields.