No bank accounts needed for rice cash grant – Mustapha tells farmers

Rice farmers who do not have bank accounts will still be able to access the Government’s recently announced cash grant, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha assured farmers during an outreach at De Hoop, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), on Saturday.
Mustapha told farmers that payments under the Government’s rice support programme will be distributed directly to beneficiaries by cheque once the registration and verification exercise is completed.
The Government recently announced a $3 billion support package for rice farmers for the first crop of 2026, with farmers cultivating 50 acres or less set to receive $15,000 per acre, while those cultivating more than 50 acres will receive $10,000 per acre.

Addressing concerns raised by farmers about the payment system, Mustapha said persons should not fear being excluded because they do not have bank accounts. “This doesn’t mean that you must have a bank account before you register,” the Minister told the meeting.
He continued, “We will have the cheques available to people who don’t have a bank account. We will not pay the money into the bank. Let me be frank. We will bring the cheque to distribute to you directly, as we did it for the $300 when we paid for the paddy.”
However, he urged farmers to ensure they register with the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) so the process can be completed quickly. He added that several checks and balances have been put in place to prevent persons from attempting to manipulate the system.
The Minister also explained that the verification process will involve acreage records from the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary – Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) and GRDB, along with millers’ vouchers and local committees conducting final checks before payments are approved.
“We have had experiences already; when we give these reliefs, there are a lot of people sometimes coming and making all kinds of demands. So, we have to put checks and balances,” he said.
Mustapha disclosed that approximately 6000 acres of rice remained to be harvested in the MMA/ADA scheme and expressed hope that harvesting would be completed shortly so payments could begin.
He said the Government wants the registration exercise concluded before the end of the month to allow farmers to receive their funds as early as possible.
During the outreach, he also pointed to major drainage and irrigation works currently underway in the area, including the construction of high-level canals and additional pumping capacity aimed at reducing flooding within the farming communities.
He said the hope-like canal projects and supporting drainage works are expected to significantly improve water management in the scheme and open up additional agricultural lands for cultivation.
Mustapha encouraged farmers to cooperate with GRDB officials and local committees to ensure the registration and verification process proceeds smoothly so that all eligible farmers can benefit from the assistance programme.