GRDB trials new aromatic rice that could fetch over US$1000 per tonne

As global rice prices remain under pressure and export markets grow increasingly competitive, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) has begun large-scale field trials of a new aromatic rice variety that could potentially earn farmers more than double the price of conventional grain.

The candidate line, now being tested in 30 farmer fields across the country, is part of a renewed push to break into the lucrative aromatic rice market, a segment traditionally dominated by countries such as India, Pakistan, and Thailand.
Chief Scientist at the GRDB, Dr Mahindra Persaud, said aromatic rice represents the next lucrative thing on the international market, with prices exceeding US$1000 per tonne in some cases, compared with the US$400 to US$500 per tonne typically earned for Guyana’s conventional rice exports.
“If we can produce an aromatic rice, then we can sell for maybe almost two times above the normal price,” Dr Persaud explained, noting that Guyana currently operates largely as a “price seeker” in the global market.
“We are selling at US$400, maximum US$500 per tonne. If we can produce the aromatic rice… you’ll see over a thousand US per tonne.”
Guyana exports between 50 and 70 per cent of its rice production annually and must accept prevailing international prices. While local farmers have steadily improved yields, averaging between eight and nine tonnes per hectare under optimal conditions, Dr Persaud acknowledged that productivity gains alone are no longer sufficient to offset stagnant global prices.
Traditional basmati-type varieties are known for low yields, often three to four tonnes per hectare, long maturity periods of up to 150 days, high susceptibility to lodging and disease, and lower head rice recovery rates during milling. For Guyana, where export quality standards are strict and cropping cycles are tightly managed, these limitations have historically made aromatic rice difficult to adopt.
“We cannot compete with three or four tonnes per hectare. We have to get an aromatic within 100 to 120 days to be ideal,” Dr Persaud said.
After years of breeding and multi-season testing, the GRDB now believes it may have achieved that balance. The candidate variety currently under trial matures in approximately 105 to 110 days, performs consistently across environments, shows resistance to blast disease, and exceeds the benchmark 50 per cent head rice recovery rate, a critical factor in export competitiveness.
Dr Persaud noted that, unlike earlier experimental lines, the current variety closely mirrors the agronomic characteristics of Guyana’s established high-performing cultivars while delivering the added value of aromatic quality.
“If you have a variety that’s similar to our local varieties, but it is aromatic, I think we’re heading in the right direction,” he said.
Necessary evolution
Meanwhile, the President of the Guyana Rice Producers Association (RPA), Lekha Rambrich, welcomed the development, describing aromatic rice as a necessary evolution for the industry amid falling global prices and market disruptions.
“This is our future if we want to stay in the rice industry. Because this can be a high-end price. And once we can plant it and be able to come out with good grains, good grain type, and good quality, then we can have a good price for our product,” the RPA head noted.
He pointed out that international market volatility, reduced access to European markets, and price pressures in the Caribbean have made diversification increasingly urgent. He stressed that while not every farmer may cultivate aromatic rice, those who do, under properly managed systems, could command significantly higher returns.
“Not everybody will be able to plant this. But whoever plants it will get a higher price,” he said.
The 30 ongoing field trials are intended to move the project beyond research plots and into real-world commercial conditions. Farmers participating in the programme are providing feedback on plant structure, maturity, grain quality, and yield performance before any final decision is made on release.
According to the RPA head, the variety has good promise.