…snail infestation hampering rice cropPresident of the Guyana Rice Producers’ Association and Manager of the Bengal Aromatic Rice Processing Facility at Bengal Farm, Corentyne, Mr. Leekah Rambrich, has stated that Berbice rice farmers are set to achieve the 58,000-acre target for this current crop.Region Six has approximately 2,400 rice farmers.Rice miller, Leekah RambrichRambrich, who is also the current Central Corentyne Chambers of Commerce (CCCC) President, outlined the current state of the rice industry in the Ancient County. The farmer noted that rice harvesting in Berbice is almost complete. Cultivation and sowing for the next crop are ongoing.At present, more than 40,000 acres of rice are being sown. In Black Bush Polder, approximately 15,000 acres are being sown while 16,440 acres are being sown in the Front lands (Number 52-74 Villages and Mara areas). The target for this crop, he stated,Cheap Jerseys For Sale, is 58,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping,000 acres. “We are hoping to achieve this target.” Rambrich believes that farmers can even surpass their targets due to the good weather.“The weather conditions are very favourable. Farmers are making much of the rainfall and we’re not seeing any flooding affecting the region. Thus far it’s very good for rice cultivation.”However, there has been a “high” infestation of snails on the rice crop and this is affecting farmers a great lot. Rambrich stated that the pests are being controlled by the snail powder.? We hope that not much damage will occur.”He noted that what the snails do is that they feed on the little plant as it starts to germinate.A few weeks ago farmers throughout the country expressed dissatisfaction at the prices they were receiving at the rice mills. Rambrich said that this was due to the staggering [state] of the Venezuelan market due to the elections there.Following a meeting with the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and farmers recently, “ we have worked and come to a consensual agreement where the millers have agreed to pay $3,700 for a bag of paddy—it’s not to the best but farmers have accepted it.”He noted that the Venezuelan market has dropped their quota on paddy from 140,000 tonnes to 60,000 tonnes and raised the rice from 70,000 tonnes to 110,000 tonnes “and this will have some effect…because some of the farmers who were hoping to export,Cheap Jerseys Online, they cannot because of the limited amount that needs to be exported now.”Rambrich then talked about the quality of packaging of rice being demanded on the world market and expressed how this is also creating some challenges for the local rice industry here. “The quality is very stringent—it’s hard—difficult for us to make—the quality of the rice they are demanding are more packaging quality and very few of our millers can make those standards.”This, he said, will result in more millers exporting their rice to either Jamaica or Europe.Rambrich’s milling facility at Bengal Farm has recently launched Guyana’s first Aromatic Rice, the Bengal Aromatic Rice,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, and stated that it is becoming very popular especially in the kitchens across Guyana. The rice is grown as regular rice and the aroma is embedded into the genes of the plant and stays there after which it goes into the paddy itself.This special rice variety, he added, consists of the aroma being embedded in one of our local variety and it is fragrant rice just like the Basmati and Jasmine,Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys, and it is being grown locally. Even though the new variety is only being sold locally, it will be hitting the market in Trinidad very soon,Wholesale Stitched Jerseys, with assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture.“Anywhere you move around in the country. People are looking for it and getting to like it…I reached with a few persons in Georgetown and they were telling me that it’s an excellent rice, they like the way it cooks in the fried rice and Spanish rice and makes an excellent cook- up, so people love it.”