Over the years, Guyana’s rice yield has not lived up to the targeted expectations of rice farmers, so much so that some farmers are no longer motivated to produce, and have moved to sell their lands. This is due to several challenges faced over the years, including the lack of support from the authorities.
It is well known that rice production is one of the main economic activities on our coastlands. The commodity is grown only on our coastal plain, where the soil is quite fertile to facilitate agriculture, and where conditions are best for cultivation.
Rice also happens to be one of our major contributors to gross domestic product (GDP), as it is one of our largest exports.
Given the changes in weather pattern brought about by global warming and other factors, farmers have in the past been faced with excessive rainfall and prolonged periods of drought, damaging their rice yields at different stages of production.
While we have no control over nature in terms of the weather, we do have man-made solutions to the problems affecting our agriculture sector. The building of concrete sluices, kokers, digging of water reservoirs, and the availability of pumps in the event of flooding are all needed when such crisis occurs.
Additionally, for some farmers, the low price they receive for their paddy does not enable them to make a reasonable profit, as production and labour costs are so high, hence they are not encouraged to increase the amount of rice they grow, or even to continue rice production.
Some of the costs incurred in rice production are: land preparation, including draining the land and ploughing the soil; seed paddy of various varieties, including those that are pest- and weather-resistant; harvesting with a combine and transportation to a rice mill, and labour for doing all of the aforementioned.
Further, the cultivation of rice is very time-consuming, as farmers are required to take daily walks around the fields to check for pests and diseases, as well as on the progress of the crop.
So bad is the situation for some that they (usually small- and medium-scale farmers along the coastlands) have chosen to rent their acres of rice land out to large scale farmers who will incur economies of scale; while others have even resorted to selling theirs to persons for the development of house lots.
If this continues, in the near future, with escalating prices of inputs and declining prices of the output, all the rice lands would eventually be developed into housing schemes. If this happens, rice production will cease to exist in Guyana, which is a waste of perfectly fertile land. This, we know, would certainly have a negative impact on Guyana’s ability to ensure the country is food secure.
Over the last five years or so, the agriculture sector was practically ignored. One cannot imagine that an important sector such as this would not benefit from the necessary governmental support. Rather than providing the necessary budgetary support, the former Government imposed heavy taxes on farmers, which sought to discourage and demotivate them.
For example, the former APNU/AFC Administration imposed increases on land rent and other charges to farmers in the Mahaica/ Mahaicony/Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA). Land rents increased from $1000 to $7000 per acre every year. Drainage and irrigation charges increased from $2500 per acre to $8000 per acre every year.
The Agriculture Minister had pointed out during his recent Budget presentation that an examination of the once budding sector showed that inadequate amounts of materials were procured for repair works on the all-weather roads, which serve more than 2300 rice farmers and 96,000 acres of rice.
It was also outlined that more than 650 miles of access dams were not maintained, which eventually sent the cost of production up, and even caused farmers to lose crops. This was followed by challenges with drainage, damage from the acoushi ants, and lack of facilities such as abattoirs for slaughtering large animals. Further, all seed distribution was stopped in rural and hinterland communities, which has significantly affected rural agricultural development.
We are indeed pleased to see that the present Government has taken proactive steps to revitalise the sector. In this year’s budget, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority and the Mahaica/MahaiconyAbary Agricultural Development Authority have been allocated G$8.8 billion, almost 60 per cent of the total budget of the Ministry of Agriculture, to provide better drainage, to prevent flooding, and [provide] better irrigation to improve agricultural productivity.”
Rice is too much of an important sector to be ignored.
