No need to import rice says Guyana Rice Development Board

GEORGETOWN, Guyana,  CMC – The Guyana Rice Development Board says there is no need for the country to import rice as local production is adequate to meet local demand.

According to the board's General Manager, Nizam Hassan, there is an adequate production of rice for local consumption as well as for export.

“It has really been an aggressive position by the rice producers and millers to export the production to Guyana. We have always had adequate production for our local consumption,” he told the Department of Public Information on Tuesday.

Hassan revealed that production for the first half of the year stands at 290,000 tonnes valued at  $23.2 billion compared with 203,000 tonnes valued at $16.1 billion for the corresponding period last year.

He said the rice board had a target of 88,660 hectares of land for cultivation.

Hassan said so far 86 percent or 76,500 hectares have been cultivated.

“We have 43 percent increase in export volume and 44 percent in export value. There is no need for rice importation. We have adequate supplies for production,” he said.

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