Aromatic rice variety unveiled to boost farmers’ earnings

Guyana’s first aromatic rice candidate variety, Guymati (GRDB 19), was launched on Tuesday in a move aimed at boosting profitability in the rice sector.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said aromatic rice is a high-value commodity due to its low supply and strong market demand, offering farmers greater returns.

Some 18 varieties have been released over the past 29 years, contributing to increased productivity.
“Every new variety that we try to bring out for you, these varieties are better than the others. It has more potential…It will attract higher prices and it is a variety that has the potential that you can have market internally,” he said.

Mustapha added that the government is targeting eight tonnes of paddy per hectare, or about 50 bags per acre, to improve farmers’ margins.

GRDB General Manager Badrie Persaud said the local aromatic rice market is valued at about G$100 million and continues to expand.

“There is a very strong niche market for aromatic rice. So, if this can take on a commercial scale of production with a reputable brand name like the Basmattie or Jasmine, I think it would be a game changer for the rice industry,” he said.
“We have been doing more than that in terms of diversification. We’ve piloted a programme called Rice Integrate

d Systems. We would want to extend it into the rice-growing regions. We’ve started precision agriculture to aid farmers in crop management,” Persaud shared.

The extra-long, slender grain cooks in about 11 minutes, is blast-resistant, tolerates lodging and requires no additional production cost.