Georgetown: A rice miller in Region Two has procured equipment at a cost of US$100,000 to convert paddy husk into energy to reduce wastage of rice by-products. This is in keeping with the Government’s aim to add value to Guyana’s produce as part of its development strategy.
Minister of Agriculture, Dr Leslie Ramsammy at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) today, during the opening ceremony of the Annual Research Conference 2014 said, “… I am in a position to say that a miller has procured equipment to convert paddy husk into energy to meet the energy needs of the mill, making use of all the by-products of rice.”
This sort of investment is to ensure that the remains of rice harvest do not create an environmental problem, and are converted into cleaner energy. Cooking gas is also being produced on a small scale locally and the Minister said agriculture could contribute more such initiatives.
In the last couple of years, rice has gone from just being a producer of paddy for mills in other countries to additionally utilising every bit of the rice plant and its product.
The Minister said he recently had discussions with a group that wants to produce healthy cooking oil using the paddy husk, shell and other by-products. He added that there are many opportunities for this kind of research. Thus, “we would like to see our university, National Agricultural Research Extension Institute (NAREI), Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) and other organisations coming together with an active research programme.”
Minister Ramsammy commended the work being done at the Rice Research Centre and by young agriculturalists at NAREI and GLDA to improve the varieties of crops and the breeds of animals. Earlier this year, a farmer saw his cow give birth to twin calves through artificial insemination.
Though the Ministry seeks to find ways of expanding diversity in agriculture crops, Minister Ramsammy said the issue of climate change must be taken into consideration. “Guyana stands ready to take on the challenges of agriculture production. Whilst the focus has been food and nutrition security, we have begun to diversify into areas of fuel production, medicine and cosmetics etc,” the Minister explained.
He urged that each investment be looked at to determine ways to maximise the investment potential to further benefit Guyanese, as is done in other countries. “We must ensure that the agriculture we practice today in Guyana is very different in 2020, one that will ensure Guyana overcomes the key binding constraint that affects agriculture in the Caribbean,” Minister Ramsammy posited.
It is anticipated by the Agriculture Ministry that by 2020, some of items/commodities imported will be produced in Guyana; members of the Caribbean will purchase items produced locally, and that farmers will become leading entrepreneurs.
The research conference is a part of a strategy that is intended to change agriculture to continue to lead sustainable development goals in Guyana. In the first week of November, a forum will be held on coconut in Guyana.
Guyana has been making major strides in fulfilling its mandate of adding value to products despite the lack of availability of cheap energy.
