A total of 374 rice farmers in Region Four received $113.14 million in government cash grants on Tuesday as part of ongoing efforts to support the rice industry and reduce production costs.
This is a commitment President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali previously made when he met with farmers earlier in the year.
Speaking at the distribution exercise at the Cane Grove Primary School, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha said the grants will help farmers reinvest in their next crop while easing the financial burden caused by declining global paddy prices.
Farmers cultivating 50 acres or less receive $15,000 per acre, while those cultivating more than 50 acres receive $10,000 per acre, representing a total payout of $113.14 million for the region.
The Region Four distribution marked the conclusion of the nationwide cash grant initiative.
“At the end of today’s exercise, we will be paying out to 5,106 farmers around the country who cultivated a total of 234,000 acres for the last crop, and a total sum of $2,763,249 will be paid out when this exercise concludes…”, he said.
The agriculture minister noted that the government has consistently supported rice farmers through cash grants, fertiliser assistance, and tax concessions on fuel.
He urged farmers to use the grants wisely by investing in their cultivation and encouraged them to explore integrated farming to diversify their income and strengthen their operations.
“If you can give up an acre or two of your plot, so that we can help you to get involved in the integrated farming. You can grow some high-value crops in the shade house. You can do some aquaculture”, he said.