President Irfaan Ali has reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering commitment to the development and sustainability of Guyana’s rice industry, outlining a comprehensive strategy aimed at stabilising prices, increasing resilience, and improving the livelihoods of farmers.
Speaking directly with rice farmers from Upper Corentyne on Wednesday, President Ali acknowledged the complex global pressures currently impacting the sector — including falling international prices, oversupply, and market disruptions — and assured the farming community that the government is taking proactive steps to protect their interests.
“We want rice farmers to succeed, and we will put the right structures in place to ensure that happens,” the President declared, emphasising that the government is actively engaging rice millers to secure fair prices for paddy.
He stressed the importance of ongoing dialogue between landowners, farmers, and millers, and committed to continued stakeholder meetings over the next two weeks to address industry challenges collaboratively.
“The situation is very complex at the moment. There’s dumping, there’s falling prices, there’s oversupply, and there’s a bumper crop worldwide. We’re operating in a challenging environment, but as a government, we are working to navigate through it,” President Ali said.
To build long-term resilience, President Ali unveiled several upcoming initiatives, including:
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Construction of national storage facilities to increase capacity for stockpiling rice.
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Investment in research on higher-yielding rice varieties.
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Improvement of the rice grading system to ensure transparency and fair payments for farmers.
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Recruitment of international experts to guide income diversification strategies for rice producers.
As part of the diversification drive, President Ali introduced a model whereby every 10 acres of rice would include one acre for high-value alternative ventures, such as aquaculture or cage farming.
“This is what we call agro-business diversification, and it’s critical for your cash flow, for us as a country, and for the long-term resilience of the industry,” the President explained.
Farmers welcomed the direct engagement with the President and his Cabinet, describing the meeting as productive and encouraging.
“There were issues that were never rectified, and today, President Ali gave us his commitment to address them,” said Badewattie Badjray, a farmer from No. 61 Village, Corentyne. “Some of the works have already started, especially with drainage and irrigation. So this meeting was very good and I hope the Ministers and President can continue to meet with us.”
Malcom Francis, another rice farmer, echoed this optimism: “As a rice farmer, the challenges are plenty. But I am hopeful that the President will ensure the issues are resolved for the betterment of the industry.”
Despite mounting global pressures, the government has rolled out billions in support to cushion the impact on the sector. This includes:
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$2 billion in direct market stabilisation support
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$3.6 billion in fertiliser, flood relief, seed paddy, and crop insurance
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Removal of VAT on agricultural machinery, equipment, and agro-chemicals
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Zero-rated sales commission introduced via the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB)
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Settlement of the Panama payment worth $1.5 billion
President Ali was joined by several key Cabinet members at the engagement, including Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh; Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha; Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Vickash Ramkissoon; Minister of Public Service and Government Efficiency, Zulfikar Ally; and Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues.
