Record breaking year for rice production

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:00 by GxMedia

The rice industry continues its outstanding performance, hitting an all time high this year, surpassing the fixed targets, as well as the 2012 figure by over 107,000 tonnes.

Rice production for 2013 topped 529,384 tonnes exceeding the 422,057 tonnes produced in 2012, thereby increasing by 25.43 percent.

According to figures provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, both crops for 2013 far outperformed their targets.

Rice yield for 2013 has exceeded the targeted production of 413,031 tonnes, by 28.17 percent or 116,353 tonnes.

This year’s first crop target was 203,553 tonnes, but its yield was 264,321 tonnes, an increase of 29.85 percent.

The second crop target of 209,478 was exceeded by 26.54 percent, reaching a production figure of 265,063 tonnes.

Rice farmers sowed a total of 165,461 hectares; harvested 160,742 hectares and produced 805,121 metric tonnes of paddy in 2013.

This in itself is historic as the projection was that Guyana would have achieved 500,000 tonnes, but only by the end of 2015. This also pushes forward the possibility of Guyana possibly reaching 600,000 tonnes before the 2020 projection.

The sector continues to experience yearly increase in rice production due to more land being brought under cultivation, and the provision of improved farming techniques with better seed varieties, which in turn have led to improved yields per hectare.

A major incentive for the latter has been the price for Guyana’s rice improving, which thus far has been stable.

The 2012 rice production grew by 5 percent over the 2011 output.