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By Jarryl BryanThe year 2015 has been one of much speculation in rice cultivation, record-breaking production and protestingGRDB General Manager, Nizam Hassanfarmers, who demanded that Government take steps to help them reduce their production costs.Concerns have also been raised about the number of farmers who will return to the industry. Many have indicated that, with their cost of production far above what they are earning from their paddy sale, they cannot replant for the first crop of 2016.According to General Secretary of the Guyana Rice Producers Association (GRPA), Dharamkumar Seeraj, the rate of replanting at the end of last year, is significantly below what it should have been at that particular time of year.Seeraj, who was at one time the Vice-Chairman of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), revealed that some rice growing areas such as Cane Grove and Mahaica, have sowed about 80 and 90 percent of their rice fields. However, he stated that countrywide replanting has been down to approximately 35 percent.He described this as a worrying situation, and stated that many farmers who rented land in preceding crops, for cultivation, have already given up their land.Seeraj stated that from his data, Region three had a rice replanting rate of 50 percent, while Region Four stood at 80 percent. He went on to note that Region Five’s rate was approximately 35 percent, while Region Six stood at 30 percent.Former Chief Executive Officer of Alesie group, Dr. Turhane Doerga, also expressed concern at the way in which the industry was being managed. He declined to comment further.GRDB General Manager, Nizam Hassan, had revealed that as of December 31, last, the official figure ofGRPA General Secretary, Dharamkumar Seerajrice fields replanted stood at 133,865 acres. He stated that this was 55.1 percent of the target for the overall acreage replanting.According to Hassan, the number of acres that the Ministry had projected would be replanted for the first crop of 2016 was 224,Throwback Jerseys,000 acres. However, he said that the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary/Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) has released irrigation water, so it is expected that there will be an acceleration of sowing.Hassan had also stated, during the Ministry of Agriculture’s end of year press conference,NFL Jerseys China Online, that in 2016 the possibility exists there would be a small reduction in the amount of rice cultivated per acre. Hassan,Cheap Jerseys Free, however, had put this development down to the weather.“Once we get good weather in the first crop, we have projected that the growth that this industry has been experiencing over the past few years will continue,” Hassan had pronounced.According to the Ministry’s figures, during 2015, the rice industry continued to perform favourably despite market challenges. As at December 16, paddy production was 1,051,563 tonnes, equivalent to 683,516 tonnes of rice.This figure was 48,278 tonnes or 7.60 per cent higher than the production of paddy and rice for the entire 2014.  In that year, 977, 289 tonnes of paddy equivalent to 635,238 tonnes of rice were produced.For the period January -December 16, 2015, exports stood at 510,807 tonnes compared with 501,208 tonnes for 2014.Despite the increase in the volume of exports for this period,Fernando Rodney Jersey, the value was 15 per cent lower than the 2014 value.  For the period January up to December 16, 2015,NFL Jerseys Cheap, the value of the exports was US$211,834,746 compared to US$249,504,955 for 2014.Hassan had also touched on the Mexican rice deal. Though not the first timeSowing below projectionsMexico has taken Guyana’s rice, the re-initiation of the trade agreement between the two countries was touted by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.According to Hassan, all the requisite information required by the Mexican parties has been provided and was being reviewed. He expressed optimism that by the first quarter of 2016, all issues relating to sanitary protocols can be finalized and export can begin.Many in the rice industry had projected even worse numbers of farmers moving away from the industry, as they continue to struggle with high production costs and little money to show for it.Meanwhile, Seeraj also expressed disappointment that the recommendations forwarded to the Ministry of Agriculture have not been acted on. He pointed to one item high on the list,Artemi Panarin Jersey, i.e. removal of fuel taxes. He noted that with farmers paying some $960 per gallon, if concessions were applied the price could come down to $300 per gallon. This, he said, would be a boost to farmers.Meanwhile, in the areas of research capacity, both the GRDB’s 14 variety and the aromatic variety of rice were released, along with its production package for commercial cultivation by farmers in spring of 2015.Nineteen advanced breeding lines are currently being tested in advanced yield trials in four locations across the country. These candidate varieties will be tested in farmers’ fields, and if found suitable, will be released.Sixty five advanced breeding lines are currently being tested at the Research Station at Burma. Each season, more than 4,000 breeding lines are studied by the team at the Rice Research Station.