Guyana farmers receive first crop insurance payout
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More than 2,000 rice farmers in Guyana received approximately US$128,000 in crop insurance claims during the first six months of 2026, after heavy rainfall damaged their harvests.
This marked the first time farmers could access the crop insurance facility, which the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government established to protect them from production and market risks.
The government also invested an additional $211.7 million (Guyanese currency) in improving rice farming techniques, including using drones for crop management and introducing new seed varieties. In March, authorities launched a new aromatic rice variety and planted 100 acres with seed for the next crop. They also began digitizing rice plots to monitor field operations in real time.
Beyond insurance, the government provided around $2.8 billion (Guyanese currency) in direct support to 5,106 rice farmers across 234,920 acres, offering different payment rates based on farm size. Despite the challenging weather, Guyana’s rice production increased by an estimated 4.4 percent during the first half of 2026, reaching 414,088 tonnes of rice equivalent. Authorities now project a total rice production of 827,838 tonnes for the year, forecasting a 2.8 percent growth for the sector.
In the coming months, the government plans to build a 10,000-tonne climate-controlled rice storage facility in Region Two to further support rice farmers.
