By Abigail Kippins
Guyana Chronicle
June 20, 2001

THE rice industry, the second most important agricultural plank in the Guyana economy, stands to benefit from a 10-year Strategic Plan outlining procedures to improve the quality, quantity and processing of rice and its by-products.

With proper implementation of the plan, the country can realise an integrated, sustainable and profitable industry, producing and marketing rice for the benefit of all Guyanese, officials have explained.

The Strategic Plan was initiated by the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), which met key stakeholders over the past months and with the help of data collected through interviews, questionnaires and a strategic planning workshop, was able to put together the document.

Officials of the board said they recognised the need to improve the operations of the industry, which required the development of a positive, collective plan, if it is to successfully and sustainably market its products internationally.

The exercise was made possible through financial support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Agriculture Minister, Mr. Navin Chandarpal welcomed the initiative by the board at the presentation of the document Monday.

At the Georgetown Club ceremony, he noted that it was a good step to deal with the sector in relation to the problems being encountered, to define its role and how those involved can derive benefits.

He added that the Agriculture Ministry will remain available to support the Rice Board's efforts to make the ideas presented a reality.

GRDB General Manager, Mr. Jagnarine Singh presented the document which includes several goals set by the working group.

Among these are goals relating to production, processing and marketing of rice and its by-products.

In terms of production, Singh said it is necessary for the industry to have an increased productivity of rice on a sustainable basis, have a self-sustaining research extension and support services.

As such by 2007, they are aiming to have a national average yield that willincrease from 26.3 bags/acre (4.1 tons/hectare) to 38.6 bags/acre (six tons/hectare) and progressive growers in high productivity areas will regularly obtain yields greater than 45 bags/acre (seven tons/hectare).

It is also expected that 70% of growers will use high quality seeds and adequate inputs by 2004, that 70% of rice areas will have improved drainage and irrigation by 2006, and that all commercial varieties are high yielding with excellent grain quality, multiple disease resistance and tolerance to field weathering, for instance, from delayed harvesting, by 2004.

In terms of having a self-sustaining research extension and support services industry, Singh proposed on-farm research and technology transfer programmes to demonstrate to farmers improved crop management practices which result in increased yields in place by this year.

He also proposes that research and extension staff be strongly integrated and focused on on-farm research, and demonstration plots and linkages with appropriate research and development agencies be established by 2002.

The board is also aiming at having highly skilled national staff competent in rice research, technology transfer, seed production and other essential services by 2005, mechanisms for sustaining irrigated rice research technology transfer and grower support services in place by 2002, and a commercial seed sector established by 2005.

Regarding processing of rice, Singh said it was decided that producers ensure quality is maintained during cleaning, drying and storage.

For this to be effective, he said drying procedures must be updated and operation training programmes be established by 2004, new cleaning, drying and storage facilities established in each rice growing region by 2006, and that paddy-grading standards redefined by the end of 2003.

He said recovery during milling has to be maximised which will require regularly obtaining a 50% whole grain yield of well-milled rice of acceptable quality by 2005, and training programmes for all milling operators established by 2003.

He added that there must be a marketable product at a compatible cost and have profit margins maximised by adding value to rice and its by-products.

This will require the percentage of parboiled rice production to be increased to 25% of whole grain products by 2006 and the percentage of packaged rice production increased to 10% of whole grain products by 2006.

In terms of marketing, Singh said the market component includes advising the industry towards producing products that satisfy customers and the group proposed that a market intelligence system be established by the end of 2001 that provides timely and reliable information.

The industry must also effectively compete locally and internationally and Singh proposed that a favourable brand image of the country's rice be established by 2004.

The industry also has to expand and have a more profitable market which will foster increased prosperity, and expand the market share for Guyana's rice.

In this regard, the aim is to export 60% of rice produced to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) by next year, exporting 20,000 tonnes to the Brazilian rice market by 2002, and have the share of non-traditional market increased to 20% of Guyana's total exports by 2003.

The board assumes that by then there will be adequate financing available to produce and market more than 300,000 tons per year of milled rice, cooperation among producers, the CARICOM single market would have become a reality, and that the road to Brazil be completed (should the Government establish bilateral trade agreement and facilities to supplying rice to Brazil).

Singh pointed out that implementing the Strategic Plan must be an ongoing process.

He said key stakeholders in the rice industry recognise the importance of ongoing monitoring to help ensure effective and efficient implementation of needed change and as initial steps in this process, they have identified members of a steering committee, put forward initial ideas on needed organisational and institutional change, identified risks inherent in their plan and ways to manage such risks and developed action plans detailing initial efforts to be more proactive and such momentum for strategic change.

He pointed out that there will be risks involved in implementing the plan, noting that the more aware stakeholders are of potential risks, the better able they will be to manage effectively in order to diminish the likelihood of those risks occurring or to decrease the negative impact should these occur.

He said some of the risks involved may include no system established to produce high quality seeds, limited seed production programme, the IDB and the Government failing to reach an agreement concerning rehabilitation and subsequent management of drainage and irrigation (infrastructure), linkages with other institutions not established, inability to access funds for equipment and training, unfavourable government policies, non-availability of adequate markets, poor paddy quality of commercial varieties and failure to obtain a 50% head rice yield and 68% milling yield, improper quality control, fall-out in world production, and an unstable political environment.

Minister Chandarpal said that in real life targets set by the board are not always achieved as one would like and would require reviewing since the conditions under which one operates today may not be the same tomorrow.

In terms of the weaknesses, he said if these are not attended to they could affect the plan.

He said emphasis must be placed on positive factors of implementation taking into account that the realisation of what are areas of strength today can become negative in certain circumstances in the future.