GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Guyana says it has been able to expand its market share in the sale of rice overseas with the country being able to sell the product in three new countries including two in Europe.
Guyana rice exports (File Photo)Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said that Guyana is now providing British Virgin Islands (BVI), Estonia and Slovenia with rice since last year and remains optimistic that the demand for the product will heighten this year as government intends to increase investments in the sector.
“We have increased our market to those three countries, we now have close to about 42 countries where we are exporting rice and we are looking to improve on that,” Mustapha said.
Guyana said that notwithstanding the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as well as the devastating floods in May and June, revenue from the industry was estimated at US $201 million with approximately 434,535 tons of rice being exported.
A government statement said that the agriculture sector was also able to contribute some GUY$2.6 billion (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2021 from the exportation of non-traditional crops.
“The other crops sector has made a significant contribution to the country’s GDP… when I mean other crops, things that people look forward for, like small crops, they call it cash crops…. we have seen a contribution of $2.6 billion,” Mustapha added.
Mustapha said the floods had prevented the sector from contributing more to the country’s GDP.
“But I think that we are moving aggressively now, and we are more on the verge of making our contribution and our mark in the Caribbean market.”
Government said it had distributed GUY$7.8 billion in assistance to more than 50,000 farmers affected by the floods.
