Biggest ever rice crop for Berbice - Armogan

Biggest ever rice crop for Berbice – Armogan

Nov 02, 2013 News

Berbice is expected to produce a bumper rice crop. Region Six Chairman, David Armogan, it was revealed that more than 80 per cent of the crop has been extracted and harvested. Some farmers have also started to re- plant and are awaiting irrigation water. “This is going to be one of the biggest crops, ever, in all the years of rice production in Berbice.”
Berbice, he said, has moved from about 45,000 rice acreage to over 55,000 acreage. “In fact, the cattle farmers are quarreling that the rice farmers are pushing them off the land.”
“We have seen that the yield—although the acreage is increasing—we have an increase in yield…when we used to get between 26 and 30 bags per acre, we are seeing 40 to 50 bags per acre—a double gain!”
The reason for that, he noted, is that newer varieties of rice are being grown. There is the control of diseases.
He credited the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) for their roles as well. “It’s a combination of lots of technical lab work; expansion of lands; better drainage and irrigation and guaranteed market.”
Government has also brought in fertilizer, he noted, “at a far cheaper price than what they are buying from some of the markets they are buying form presently.”
Berbice farmers, he noted, are set to receive this commodity very shortly.
“And so, they [cattle farmers] are asking us to find new pasture lands, but at the same time, whilst we want to push the production of rice, we also want to ensure that the cattle industry can grow and expand, and it’s a dilemma we are facing, because ever so often, we have this conflict between cattle owners and rice farmers.”
Armogan said that while there is clear demarcation of rice and cattle lands, there always seems to be some form of “infringement and it is creating conflicts for us.” The Chairman appealed to farmers to be more careful on the road, in terms of drying paddy on the road at nights and not having properly lit vehicles and equipment. “This is extremely dangerous for people utilizing the road.”
One other problem, he said, is that rice farmers are now moving into the residential areas “with their carts and trucks and the dust is really creating havoc for the people in those areas.”
He has asked the Guyana Rice Producers Association (GRPA) to get involved and speak to the farmers to do what is right, “and don’t come out on the road where people live because it scratches the people’s skin and their homes and curtains get dirty.”

Latest News

Biggest ever rice crop for Berbice – Armogan

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Girls’ Hockey team selected for 2025 PAHF Jr Challenge

Matthew Moore and Joshua John cop Best Lifters...

Imlach, Permaul among top 10 in batting/bowling...

GFF personnel participate in FIFA Concussion...

OVER-50s WORLD CUP – ROUND 6 ROUND-UP

Pepsi/Michael Parris U16 Tournament returns on...

Features/Columnists

Mashramani must break from the shackles of imitation

CARICOM Nations Should Respond Together To new U.S. Policies

Big fish corruption

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Biggest ever rice crop for Berbice – Armogan

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]