Farmers across Guyana have commenced harvesting their first rice crop for 2024, and those within the industry are looking to benefit well from the bounty despite challenging weather conditions experienced over the last few months. The Ministry of Agriculture, through its agencies, has been providing support to farmers to alleviate many cultivation challenges as they aim to maximize yields.
The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has been playing its part as well; through its standards and measurement services, to ensure that quality and transparency prevail throughout the industry.
As in all areas of production, implementing the requirements of National and International standards ensures quality and consistency of products manufactured. Rice producers can utilize available standards to achieve quality and maximize the value of our locally produced grains to further increase buyer satisfaction. One such standard is the National Standard GYS 211:2014 – “Rice – Specification” which prescribes requirements for the grades of paddy, cargo rice, milled rice, cargo parboiled rice and milled parboiled rice, available for use by stakeholders in the rice industry. The standard was adopted from the CARICOM Standard CRS 44:2013.
Rice producers must continue to maintain the production of high-quality rice to sustain the grasp on Guyana’s share of the international market and to penetrate new markets. In addition, because rice is a food commodity, good production practices must be sustained to safeguard the health and safety of consumers. With standards, rice producers conforming to requirements can improve the packaging and labelling of the commodity and protect the environment.
Meanwhile, for the testing of rice, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) Central Laboratory has been internationally accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 Standard, which specifies competency to carry out testing. In addition to this accreditation, the lab is currently certified by the GNBS based on the requirements of the National Standard – GYS 170:2021 General requirements for the operation of a Laboratory. No doubt, conformance to National and International standards has put the GRDB Central Laboratory in good stead to determine the quality of rice locally produced, thereby strengthening the confidence of buyers and sellers.
Apart from the implementation of standards, the use of verified instruments to ensure reliable and accurate measurements is also crucial to the industry. Farmers need to be assured that measuring instruments and practices at mills are ‘above board’ to receive the rightful payments for their produce.
The GNBS, under its Legal Metrology programme has over the last three weeks worked at rice mills across regions, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 to ensure that measuring instruments including weighbridge scales, platform scales, hopper scales, smaller laboratory scales and moisture meters are verified as accurate. Verification provides equity and traceability of measurements for rice offered for sale locally and on the overseas market.
Finally, with rice being a staple ingredient in more than 100 countries worldwide including Guyana, all stakeholders need to work towards sustaining its production. The GNBS is committed towards supporting the implementation of standards and ensuring transparency of measurements in the industry through its services.
For further information, call the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org or facebook.com/gnbsgy
