GEORGETOWN, Guyana — President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday unveiled a comprehensive package of relief and incentive measures targeting Guyana’s key productive sectors — including a $2.7 billion cash injection for rice farmers, a $150,000 grant to every registered fisherfolk, and the removal of taxes on fuel, seines, and essential materials used in the fishing industry. The measures, the President said, are designed to safeguard livelihoods, stabilize production, and reduce operating costs amid volatile global market conditions.
The Head of State made the announcement during an interview ahead of the COP30 preparatory meetings in Brazil, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to protecting food producers and strengthening the backbone of Guyana’s non-oil economy.
“We’re going to give $150,000 to every fisherfolk out there to help them as an incentive and subsidy from the Government,” President Ali told News Room. “This is part of our broader effort to strengthen livelihoods and ease the burden on those who contribute daily to food security and coastal resilience.”
For rice farmers, President Ali announced that the government will guarantee a minimum price of $300 per bag of paddy, cushioning the impact of declining international rice prices and ensuring continued profitability for producers.
“That will be an injection of more than $2.7 billion to our rice farmers,” he said, emphasizing that the investment represents both immediate relief and long-term confidence in the sector’s sustainability.
These measures add to a sustained series of interventions by the Ali administration between 2020 and 2025 that have transformed the agriculture and fisheries landscape. From his first months in office, President Ali oversaw the removal of VAT and duties on machinery, agro-chemicals, and fertilizers, directly reducing production costs for farmers. The government also cut excise taxes on fuel from 50 percent in 2020 to zero by 2022, ensuring cheaper transportation and powering for farmers and processors.
Following the devastating floods of 2021, the administration provided direct disaster relief to affected rice farmers, helping them replant and restore productivity. In 2022, the government distributed over $1.1 billion in cash grants to more than 7,500 fisherfolk across Guyana to offset high operating costs and strengthen coastal livelihoods.
By 2023, the government’s focus expanded to modernization and infrastructure. Through the Ministry of Agriculture, seine nets valued at $14 million were procured for Corentyne fisherfolk, while major wharf and landing site upgrades were undertaken at Meadow Bank, Rosignol, and other coastal hubs. Taxes were also removed on outboard engines and fishing inputs, and vessel monitoring systems were introduced to modernize fleet operations and ensure sustainable practices.
President Ali’s government has also been driving diversification and expansion across the wider agriculture sector. In 2025, the administration announced plans to open 100,000 new acres of farmland, improve farm-to-market roads, expand seed paddy production, and introduce crop insurance for rice farmers. Guyana has also strengthened its regional partnerships — including through the Guyana–Suriname Joint Commission on Fisheries — to improve cooperation, licensing, and sustainable management of marine resources.
These interventions have underpinned record performance in recent years. In 2024, the rice industry produced more than 725,000 tonnes, one of its strongest outputs in decades, while the government injected $2 billion in fertilizer subsidies in 2025 to sustain high yields.
President Ali underscored that these initiatives reflect his government’s strategy to build resilience and expand production in traditional sectors, even as Guyana’s oil economy grows. “We’re acting early to protect our people and the foundations of our economy,” he said.
According to the 2025 Mid-Year Report from the Ministry of Finance, the agriculture, fishing, and forestry sector recorded 9 percent growth in the first half of the year, underscoring the sustained strength and diversification of the non-oil economy.
President Ali concluded that the latest measures are part of a broader national framework of relief, resilience, and investment, aimed at ensuring inclusive growth and protecting every segment of the productive workforce.
“We are committed to ensuring that no farmer, no fisher, no worker is left behind as Guyana grows,” he affirmed.