Published on Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Source: Caribbean Net News
Print Version
The issue of Jamaica deciding to import rice from the United States on the basis that Guyana is unable to meet its supply, can be resolved simply, according to Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo. “I think that the rice matter could easily be sorted out. I get the impression that Jamaica will respect CARICOM arrangements; they (Jamaica) said they asked around here before they took the decision to import there (US). We have some differences in views on that because on our side they are saying that they have the ability to supply the Jamaican market,” Jagdeo said. Jagdeo said Guyana must ensure that the new government of Jamaica understands the system.
“I thought that we had a settled mechanism, but with a new government, we need to ensure that they understand that the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) should be approached and should say whether there is enough rice to supply the market or whether we cannot supply at that point in time and therefore, we would offer the waiver,” Jagdeo said. Guyana is hopeful that it will be able to export 10,000 tonnes more of rice than last year. “Last year we exported something like 43,700 tonnes of rice to Jamaica. This year we are hoping to export 54,000 tonnes to Jamaica. So we will be 10.000 tonnes above of what we exported last year.
Price varies a bit but it’s an important issue and I think that there is enough goodwill in Jamaica to have this resolved at the level of our Ministers and officials.
Jamaica is an important market for Guyana,” Jagdeo emphasised. Guyana supplies about 50, 000 tonnes of rice to Jamaica while the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has granted Jamaica a waiver for the importation of 65, 000 tonnes of paddy to be milled in the country. This amounts to approximately 45, 000 tonnes of rice, which when combined with the amount exported from Guyana, totals about 80,000 tonnes
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