Guyana invests US$2 million in rice industry
Published: Sunday | September 20, 2009
Guyana, Caricom's major producer of rice and a big supplier to Jamaica, says it is investing nearly US$2 million in the industry to help struggling farmers cope with high production costs.
President Bharrat Jagdeo says he will meet with the Rice Producers Association about how to best spend the money for short-term relief. He said, last Friday, that farmers are concerned about high production costs.
The Ministry of Agriculture says that the country exported 147,000 tons (133,000 metric tons) of rice worth $69 million in the first six months of this year.
Guyana exports about 70 per cent of its rice, most of it to the European Union. Local consumption accounts for roughly 360,000 tons (327,000 metric tons) a year.
Site comments powered by Disqus
