On Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha launched Guyana’s first aromatic rice candidate variety, Guymati (GRDB 19).
This development marks a significant step in rice production in Guyana, as aromatic rice is considered a high-value commodity that can provide farmers with greater profitability due to its low supply and high market demand.
While delivering remarks, Minister Mustapha said that the Government of Guyana has released 18 varieties over the last 29 years, significantly increasing national productivity.
He also noted that the government is working towards achieving a target of eight tonnes of paddy per hectare, equivalent to approximately fifty bags per acre, to ensure better profit margins for farmers.
With an extra-long, slender grain and a cooking time of just 11 minutes, this variety is a premium product for the modern kitchen. It is blast-resistant and has tolerance to lodging.
Furthermore, the GRDB-19 candidate variety requires the same cultivation and agronomic practices as other GRDB rice varieties and will therefore not incur any additional cost of production. (Ministry of Agriculture-Guyana)
