Georgetown, Guyana (September 18, 2025) His Excellency President Dr Irfaan Ali has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the continued growth and development of Guyana’s rice industry, pledging a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to support farmers.
Speaking with farmers from Upper Corentyne on Wednesday, President Ali said the government is actively engaging millers to ensure that farmers receive the best possible prices for their paddy.
“We want rice farmers to succeed, and we will put the right structures in place to ensure that happens,” President Ali stated.
The President stressed the need for continuous dialogue between landowners, farmers, and millers. He assured farmers that over the next two weeks, the government will continue to meet with all stakeholders to find workable solutions for the benefit of everyone involved.
“The situation is very complex at the moment. There’s dumping, there’s falling prices, there’s oversupply, and there’s a bumper crop worldwide. We’re operating in a challenging environment, but as a government, we are working to navigate through it,” the President said.
Looking ahead, President Ali stated that there will be continued investment in the sector, noting his government’s intention to build storage facilities nationwide to enhance national capacity for stockpiling. He said that focus will be placed on supporting research onhigher-yielding rice varieties. Additionally, he pledged to improve the rice grading system to ensure farmers get fair prices for their paddy.
Alongside these initiatives, His Excellency outlined a plan to recruit international experts to explore ways of diversifying income streams for farmers.
“For every 10 acres of rice farm, we want to convert one acre into alternative crops or high-value ventures — whether that’s cage farming for crab, aquaculture, or other products with big markets. This is what we call agro-business diversification, and it’s critical for your cash flow, for us as a country, and for the long-term resilience of the industry,” President Ali explained.
The President emphasised that these initiatives are designed not only to sustain rice production but also to create new income opportunities for farmers and strengthen Guyana’s position in the global market.
Farmers welcomed the meeting, explaining that they had the chance to express their concerns directly to President Ali and members of his cabinet.
“There were issues that were never rectified, and today,President Ali gave us his commitment to address them. Some of the works have already started, especially with drainage and irrigation. So this meeting was very good and I hope the Ministers and President can continue to meet with us,” said Badewattie Badjray, a farmer of No. 61Village, Corentyne.
Another rice farmer, Malcom Francis, explained that he was excited about the engagement. He related that as a rice farmer, the challenges are plenty. However, he is optimistic that the President will ensure the issues are resolved for the improvement of the industry.
Despite global challenges such as oversupply, falling prices, and delayed payments from key markets, the government has already injected $2 billion into the industry to stabilise prices. Additionally, the Government has also implemented several other key measures to support the rice sector, including: The provision of $ 3.6B in fertiliser, flood relief, seed paddy, and crop insurance; The removal of VAT on machinery, equipment, and agro-chemicals; The introduction of a zero-rated sales commission through the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) for 2025; And, negotiated the settlement of the Panama payment of 1.5 billion dollars.
Senior Minister in the Office of the President responsiblefor Finance, the Honourable Dr Ashni Singh; Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Zulfikar Mustapha; Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, the HonourableVickash Ramkisson; Minister of Public Service,Government Efficiency and Implementation, the Honourable Zulfikar Ally; and the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, the Honourable Susan Rodrigues, joined the President at the meeting.