Some nine million bags of paddy for harvesting in first crop of 2025 – Minister Mustapha

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, has announced that approximately nine million bags of paddy are expected to be harvested during the first crop of 2025. The statement was made during a meeting with rice farmers from Region Three, West Coast of Demerara.

Minister Mustapha highlighted that over the past four years, the government has made significant investments in infrastructure to support the growth of the agriculture sector. Additionally, the government has provided various inputs to help reduce the costs associated with rice farming.

“As a government, we recognise the value of the rice industry, and that’s why we’ve made inputs available. For this crop, the 233,000 acres of rice, when we examine the estimated amount of paddy to be harvested, is around 9 million bags. We’ve removed VAT on agricultural inputs. On two occasions, fertiliser was procured and provided to farmers. We’re also working to rehabilitate and expand all seed facilities so that farmers can access seeds in a more timely manner, with improved varieties producing better yields. Over the past four years, we’ve launched three new varieties. The support has been substantial over the years,” Minister Mustapha said.

The Minister also addressed concerns raised on social media by anti-government critics, clarifying that negotiations between the millers and the government began weeks ago.

“The President engaged the millers on several occasions to determine how we can collaborate to keep the price of paddy stable. These negotiations didn’t happen overnight; they started weeks ago. At one point, there was a deadlock, but the President intervened and committed to ensuring farmers receive a minimum of $4,000 per bag of paddy. Every bag of paddy that the farmer sells to the mill, we need to contribute. When you do the calculations, we have to inject approximately $2.7 billion to ensure farmers get a better price,” Minister Mustapha explained.

The Minister emphasised that the PPP/C government has always been proactive in engaging with farmers and stepping in when needed to ensure they receive fair treatment.

“The millers argued they could not pay $4,000 per bag due to the current world market price and other factors. To reach an agreement, we had to make a contribution. We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again. Like any responsible government, we ensure that relief reaches the people. The farmers know that this government, under President Irfaan Ali, has and will always ensure they get a fair deal,” he said.

Minister Mustapha also shared plans for the Ministry to explore the procurement of a Jaclo sprayer, valued at approximately $6.5 million, to assist farmers in the region with chemical application.

In 2024, Guyana’s rice production surpassed expectations, reaching an all-time high of 725,282 metric tonnes – a remarkable achievement for the country’s agricultural sector.