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Rice exports to Cuba double by first crop
Rice being loaded last year for Cuba.
For the period of January-April, 2018, Guyana exported 139,501 metric tonnes of paddy, rice, and rice by-products, equivalent to US $57.7M.
This surpasses 2017’s export of 120,811 metric tonnes worth US $47M.
This has been credited to new markets in Mexico and Cuba.
General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Nizam Hassan, noted that Guyana had not exported to the Cuban market for a number of years.
However, the amount now being exported has increased by more than one hundred percent.
“In 2017, we exported 15,512 tonnes, which was supplied from just one miller-exporter (Nand Persaud and Company Limited). Thus far, we have two millers that have been given contracts to export to Cuba. So far, for this year, we have exported 37,418 tonnes valued at US$18.9M and we still have more to send. We definitely have already more than 100 percent over the 2017 figures.”
He further credited the new markets for the increase in exports and production. Hassan added that with the projected increase of consumption, there has been increased production activity.
“These two markets have helped the exports to grow as well as to stimulate interest that has encouraged the farmers to return to cultivation. The FAO has reported that the global consumption of rice is projected to increase in 2018, and with that, we’re seeing some amount of increased activity on the production level also the interest by the millers. And this is, of course followed by the export of paddy, rice and its by-products.”
The GRDB says it has heightened efforts to further garner more markets for farmers, millers, and the stakeholders involved the industry by introducing a new rice variety.
‘GRDB 15’ can give as much as 20 percent more than the current high yielding variety ‘GRDB 10’ which means more bags per acre. After seven years of research, the GRDB officially unveiled the ‘GRDB 15’ in April this year.
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