The Ministry of Agriculture has successfully harvested three tonnes of homegrown rice in a project trial with China that could potentially reduce the island’s annual rice import bill by a quarter, saving millions in foreign exchange.At a harvest ceremony held at the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC) in Fairy Valley, Christ Church, on Friday, acting chief executive officer Frederick Inniss expressed optimism that if successful, Barbados would soon be producing a substantial amount of rice domestically.President Dame Sandra Mason joined Chinese Ambassador Yan Xiusheng and other officials in harvesting some of the rice in a symbolic step to mark joint cooperation in achieving Barbados’ agricultural self-sufficiency.Barbados currently imports 4 600 tonnes of rice annually at a cost of $9.14 million, mostly from CARICOM neighbour Guyana and the US.Over the past two years, a team from the Chinese Hunan Linshi Agricultural Services has been conducting successful rice production trials on a quarter-acre plot at the BADMC. The team has managed to yield three tonnes of upland rice, a variety that requires less water than other types.Wang Jian, an agriculture specialist from Hunan Linshi Agricultural Services, affirmed that Barbados possesses the ideal soil, climate, and light conditions for growing upland rice. He added: “Based on empirical data, this variety of rice requires less water than initially anticipated.”
