Guyana Stockfeeds Ltd continues to make strides in the export market and last week prepared five 20-foot containers of well milled, double water-polished rice for shipment to Holland.
On November 16, 2006 the company commissioned a US$10 million parboiled rice facility with the capacity to produce 25,000 metric tonnes of parboiled rice, reportedly the largest in the region.
Chief Executive Officer Robert Badal of Guyana Stockfeeds told Stabroek News on Thursday evening that the rice bound for Holland was packed in 100lb bags and noted that the accomplishment of exporting well milled rice was the first for a local company. This could not be confirmed with the Guyana Rice Develop-ment Board (GRDB).
Badal said the company took some three months to negotiate this European market and during these negotiations samples were sent to Holland for examination.
Europe was always a target market, according to the CEO, since there is a large demand there. “It is a big leap for us,” he said. Value-added rice attracts US$400 per tonne in Europe compared to some US$300 per tonne for cargo rice, which is commonly exported from Guyana.
Badal said the targeted shipment for Europe is 20, 20-foot containers per month since there is already a buyer for this amount.
It was also mentioned that an extension of the parboiled facility is under active consideration.
In June last year the company exported parboiled rice in 45 kg bags under its Angel brand, which is also registered in the Caribbean; and in November it commenced packaging the brand in retail sizes of one-, two- and four-kilogram bags, with plans to package nine to 12 kilogrammes. Currently, the company exports parboiled rice to Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Grenada and Jamaica.
It plans to enter other Caricom countries, as well as Martinique, Guadeloupe and Curacao.
Badal hopes the rice crop will be good this year to fulfil all of his export plans. But he noted that the rice industry must produce better quality paddy and urged farmers to upgrade, since the quality of the rice is dependent on the paddy quality.
In terms of infrastructure, he also believes that better farm access roads are needed and called on the government of assist in this area.
Farmers have also reported that the prices of farming inputs like fertilizers and pesticides have increased even though both are zero rated under the Value Added Tax (VAT) regime. Badal expressed the need for inputs like these to be affordable.
He would also like to see farmers enjoying tax-free fuel under an arrangement similar to that afforded to gold miners for fuel used during mining activities.
