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thursDay, may 15, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com
Rice exports so far valued US$43M – GRDB
By Jomo Paul
G
uyana Rice Development Board General Manager Jagnarine Singh said the entity exported some 93,000 tonnes of rice valued at US$43 million towards the end of April, to countries across the globe inclusive of Venezuela. Jagnarine told Guyana Times in an exclusive interview on Wednesday that the Board has been overseeing the export of rice to several destinations. In providing more details, he said the European Union would have imported in excess of 10,000 tonnes of rice and paddy; Jamaica, 4000 tonnes; Trinidad, 3000 tonnes; Portugal, 6400 tonnes; and Venezuela, which is one of Guyana’s most important rice markets, received 18,000 tonnes of paddy and approximately 6000 tonnes of premium rice.
Strategically timed
The GRDB General Manager added that presently another vessel is being loaded with another 6000 tonnes of paddy for Venezuela and is set to depart on May 25. He pointed out that the export of rice to Venezuela will be strategically timed
up to October to not only allow for better flow but also reduced shipment costs. Further, Singh highlighted that the Board and the Agriculture Ministry is continuing their market drive, since research at the GRDB Rice Research Stations across the country has aided in the rice production process, increasing yields significantly. “Every small market counts,” he said as he explained the need for the continuation of the market drive. Still on the issue of research, Singh pointed out that the GRDB through, its research stations, have been able to develop more than 13 new varieties of hybrid rice crops, with the 14th on the cards. He explained that of the 13 varieties developed, the most “prolific” was the GRDB 10, which yields highly favourable quantities of grain on its panicles. He maintained that at the GRDB, large sums of monies have been spent on furthering staff education, and the varieties and the successes of the rice sector can be attributed to them. “What we would have done at the Research Stations is train them... we have a very robust training, we spend money to send them to Guyana
Man to go on trial for allegedly killing reputed wife
T
wenty-five-year-old Kevin Verwayne will go on trial from Friday for the alleged murder of his reputed wife some three years ago. Verwayne of Depot Dam, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, is indicted with the murder of 20-year-old Farida Ramdeen called Susie Ramdeen between March 3 and 6, 2011, at Houston, Greater Georgetown. On Wednesday, a 12-member mixed jury was empanelled before Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court. The jury consisted of nine woman and three men. The State’s case is being led by Senior State Counsel Judith GildharieMursalin in association with State Counsel Mark Conway. The State is claiming that Verwayne told his reputed wife they are going to visit an aunt; however, on the way, he stopped at Houston Estate Backdam where he stabbed and drown the woman. He then covered her body with some bushes and left, but returned days after with the Police to point out where he hid the body. The accused is being represented by Attorney Melville Duke, who was appointed by the State to represent the man, as such, the Attorney requested for some time to review the file before the trial commences. On Friday, the trial will begin with an opening state-
ment by the prosecution followed by witnesses called by the State. There are some seven witnesses to be called by the State. According to reports surrounding the incident, Ramdeen shared an abusive relationship with the accused and they were living in Pouderoyen. He was working as a garbage collector and was reportedly a drug addict. Verwayne had left with his reputed wife on March 3 under the pretext that he was taking her by an aunt in Georgetown to stay, but he stopped short along the way. After committing the act, the accused reportedly confided in his cousin; however, no one believed him, so he took them to the scene where he identified the spot to relatives. He was then taken to the Police station where he allegedly confessed to the killing. The then 22-year-old claimed that he was drunk and also high on drugs. Ramdeen’s body was found with several marks of violence. Her face bore black and blue marks while her left hand had stab wounds. Relatives concluded that since she was a left hander, she was probably blocking stabs thrown by the accused. Verwayne had also confessed to “ducking” the woman three times under water until she was unconscious after which he covered her body with bushes under the water.
School of Agriculture and the University of Guyana and these places, and this is the reward for their work, this is the outcome of the investment that we made in them,” said Singh.
Capacity building
Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy has also showered the research staffers with praise while announcing that Guyana had topped its rice production target for the first crop. Dr Ramsammy said the achievements of the rice sector are possible, since science and technology were very evident in the local industry. He said the availability of technology must be used to transform the entire agricultural sector of Guyana and the region. In 1990, the Minister recalled, the yield per hectare was between one and a half to two tonnes. He said there has been significant improvement over the years, with the yield per hectare now being be-
Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy and GRDB General Manager Jagnarine Singh heading to inspect paddy slated for export to Venezuela
tween five and half and six tonnes. According to him, science was responsible for that success. Guyana once again created history on Saturday when in excess 300,000 tonnes of rice were harvested during the first crop for
the first time. According to Minister Ramsammy, it was a first within the Caribbean in any single crop and was reason for celebration. “ Indeed, going back 15 years ago, any claim that any country would have the
capaci ty to produce 300,000 tonnes of rice in a year would have been treated as a Utopian dream,” the Minister said. Dr Ramsammy said doubts were rampant just over 10 years ago, when a target of 500,000 tonnes per year by 2020 was set. According to Dr Ramsammy, the country was able to surpass that target last year, when some 535,000 tonnes of rice produced more than five years ahead of schedule. “Six hundred thousand tonnes, which was thought to be an impossibility, now that we have achieved 300,000 tonnes in the first crop and still some more time to go, 600,000 tonnes in 2014 is a real possibility.” He said he is confident that by the end of this year, he would be able to make the announcement that Guyana was able to achieve its 600,000 tonne target.