Email

Print

The issue of the price of rice – has been dominating headlines for almost two weeks now – and finally, today, the Minister of Agriculture Gaspar Vega and senior officials from his ministry met with rice producers in Belmopan.

Coming out of the meeting, they have agreed on what an official release calls "draft revised Standards for Rice". Though no explanation is given, that suggests that different grades of rice will be sold – at different prices. The release says that, quote, "discussion commenced for a reduction of the price of rice to consumers with…emphasis on a reduced price for a more affordable grade of rice." So that means that in order to compete with Guyanese rice, a lower grade of local rice will be offered. The new price structure will be finalised within a month.

They also agreed that all rice sold locally must have packaging which states the origin of the rice, the weight and the grade. This will go into effect within two months. Having this in place last year would have avoided the situation where Guyanese rice – over 3 million pounds of it - was imported to make up for drought related shortfalls – and then passed off by local producers unto unwitting consumers as local rice – an act of willful market deception if ever there was one. But we get these sense that this new measure is not to make amends for past misdeeds, but to prepare for the likelihood that Guyanese rice will appear on the local market to compete with local rice – and when it does, the rice producers want the consumers to know the difference. The same difference they kept secret last year.

But the bottom line coming out of today's meeting is that there will be cheaper locally produced rice – the price – and grade - of which will be known in a month.