GY$3 billion cash support for rice farmers

Last Updated on Thursday, 30 April 2026, 22:54 by Writer

President Irfaan Ali on Thursday said his government would be paying out GY$3 billion in cash to support rice farmers reeling under the impact of higher fertiliser and fuel costs linked to the Israel-U.S. war with Iran.

He told reporters at a rice forum co-hosted by himself and Vice President Bharrat Jadeo, and to which the privately-owned media were not invited, that the Mid-East conflict, also, has been piled on on top of other problems of poor weather, fewer markets and lower prices.

“Today we have just set aside over $3 billion of support for rice farmers and after consultation with the rice farmers, they prefer that support in the form of cash support,” he said.

Dr Ali said the government would pay rice farmers with below 50 acres of rice cultivation GY$15,000 per acre and those with above 50 acres will get GY$10,000 per acre.

The President said the Ministry of Agriculture immediately started to collect data with people in the communities as part of a verification process. “We want the people in the regions to be involved in the verification so that we can move towards pulling this out,” he said in a video released by the Office of the President.

Sections of the privately-owned media were not invited to the rice forum hosted by Dr Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.