The government is distributing cash grants to rice farmers in several regions as part of a nationwide support programme aimed at reducing production costs and strengthening Guyana’s rice industry. Multiple reports say the payments follow a commitment previously made by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali during consultations with farmers earlier in the year. In Region Three, more than $201 million in cash grants is being distributed to 560 farmers at the Leonora Track and Field Centre. In Region Four, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha leads the distribution of relief cheques to rice farmers in the Mahaica area, with 374 farmers receiving about $113.14 million. In Region Five, INews Guyana reports that rice farmers receive more than $1.18 billion, benefiting 1,387 farmers who cultivated 104,519 acres during the last crop. In Region Six, hundreds of farmers receive relief cheques totalling about $862 million. Across the reports, the cash assistance is described as an ongoing effort to lower farming costs and provide direct financial support to rice producers as part of the government’s broader rice-farmers support rollout.