‘Rice Brekkies,’ the new locally-produced rice cereal unveiled at GuyExpo on Thursday, will be marketed locally, regionally and internationally as the country seeks to find markets for value-added products.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) report, the new cereal is the result of a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture, the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST), as well as the ministries of Finance and Tourism Industry and Commerce.
During the launch of the cereal at the IAST booth at GuyExpo on Thursday evening, acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali said the factory responsible for production, on which $75M was invested by government, was in keeping with the delivery of a promise by President Donald Ramotar, who had previously asked the IAST to look at commercialising it technology after last year’s GuyExpo. The factory, located in Region Two, is capable of processing five tonnes of breakfast cereal per day, GINA said.
Dr. Suresh Narine, Head of IAST was reported as saying that the institute has been making a lot of efforts to use technology to create value for Guyana’s natural resources. He stated that the institute has been in resuscitation mode for the past 10 years, and added that this is the first of a series of commercialised products. He added that the product is very nutritious and market testing has already been done and it has been well received.
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Dr Leslie Ramsammy said the launch of the rice cereal is the very essence of transformation and added that the government and people of Guyana are moving away from just producing raw material. “We have embraced the concept of the value chain and adding value to what we produce. Guyana has always been known as a producer of good rice and we will continue to do that, adding different types of rice,” Ramsammy was quoted as saying.
He further explained that the rice cereal will be fortified with additional vitamins and micro-nutrients in the near future and added that it is another example of the transformation in Guyana. “We will also be using rice products, rice husk and so on will be transformed into energy and stock feed. Every part of an agriculture product will be utilised, we are transforming from where the rice industry not only produces rice, but waste into 100% meaningful and useful profitable products,” he noted.
Challenge to private sector
Meanwhile, Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh said the new venture was catered for in the 2014 budget, where $ 1 billion was earmarked to be used to promote entrepreneurial and innovative initiatives. “I call on the private sector of Guyana to respond to the investments the government is making in innovation. We would really like to see the private sector more involved in innovation,” Singh said.
He explained that the new initiative of cereal production is about creating a market for rice farmers and millers who have been investing significantly in the industry, thus placing it in a position where it’s making record rice production, GINA added.
