GRDB projects 1.1 million tonnes of paddy for 2020

Of the 94,132 hectares of rice sown for the second crop of 2020, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) has announced that some 46,323 hectares of that amount were harvested at September month end.

GRDB General Manager, Nizam Hassan, on Monday said the achievement to date shows 266,260 tonnes of paddy being produced, which is also equivalent to 173,069 tonnes of rice.

“The projection so far, for the rest of the second crop of 2020, is very good and we are projecting at least a minimum of four per cent increase in the overall production for 2020 when compared to 2019,” Hassan said.

Providing an analysis for each district, the General Manager disclosed that of the 14, 149 hectares of rice sown, farmers in the Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two) district have completed harvesting 44.4 per cent.

Over 8,000 hectares were sown in Essequibo Islands -West Demerara (Region Three), with 3,753 hectares —44.1 per cent — harvested at the completion of September.

As for Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 3,910 and 42,102 were sown respectively; while farmers were able to reap 2,536 hectares in Region Four and those in Region Five yielded 19,945 hectares.

Leading the record, the East Berbice-Corentyne District has harvested 54.2 per cent of the 25,300 hectares of rice sown. The Ancient County is also anticipating its second crop to be a record-breaking one.

With the next crop season quickly approaching, the GRDB says it is projecting a 1.1 million tonnes of paddy production at the conclusion of this year.

Farmers can begin sowing seeds from November 15 up to December 31, 2020, for a productive first harvesting season come 2021. (Department of Public Information)