According to the latest report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAOUN), harvesting of Guyana’s 2020 second season paddy crop is ongoing and production is expected at an above-average level.
The Special United Nations unit said that in spite of the pandemic, the 2020 paddy output is officially anticipated at a record level of 1.1 million tonnes, including the first season crop harvested in the first half of 2020.
It was noted that paddy production has been increasing in the past four years reflecting large plantings due to improved financial gains for farmers, prompted by strong demand for exports. Guyana Standard understands that the improvement of extension services of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the expanding of public agricultural investments have also supported crop yields.
The special unit further noted that weather forecasts indicate average to slightly above-average rainfall amounts in the November-December period, providing conducive conditions for planting operations of the 2021 first season paddy crop.
With respect to rice, the country’s fourth most important exported commodity, FAOUN said exports have been on the rise over the past three years due to increasing production and are forecast to continue rising in the 2020 marketing year (January/December).
This news agency understands that exports in the January-August period exceeded the record high exports in the same period in the previous year, with the major destinations being the European Union and Latin America. Rice exports in 2020 are forecast at 530 000 tonnes, more than 20 percent above the last five-year average.
