Gross negligence, inefficiency at Burma Rice Research Station

Dear Editor,
Farmers have, over the past year, faced grave problems with the seed paddy purchased from the GRDB’s Burma Rice Research Station.
On numerous occasions, several hundred bags of seed paddy purchased from the GRDB’s Burma Rice Research Station have failed to germinate; or, if the seeds germinate, the percentage of germination has been far below the required levels. When this happens, the farmers suffer the losses, or the GRDB suffers the loss in revenue.
I was reliably informed that inefficiency in the management of seed production at the GRDB’s Burma Rice Research Station is the main reason for poor quality seed paddy reaching the farmers. It is alleged that standard operating procedures (SOP) in the production of seed paddy have not been observed, resulting in either the seeds not being ready for harvesting from the fields at the correct time, or their not having the correct moisture content, not being dried and stored properly, leading to damage of the embryo in the seed.
Further, the required labels on the bags – to tell the quality of seed paddy and per cent germination of the seed lot – have been totally absent; so farmers have had no option but to accept what was in the bag. Fortunately, I was able to closely examine the poor germinating seed paddy, and I saw evidence of large amounts of shelled grains, broken grains, pieces of clay soil and discoloured grains being present in the bags of seed paddy being sold as C1 and C11 grade.
On every occasion that any issue had been raised by farmers about the poor quality of seed provided by the GRDB’s Burma Rice Research Station, officials there have always concocted and fabricated stories, and have always had perfect excuses to hide their abysmal incompetence.
The time has come for the Government, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, and the Chairman and Board of Directors of the GRDB to get involved and seriously look into this vexing situation. We need to stop taking these lame excuses for why the quality of seed paddy provided to farmers by the Burma Rice Research Station is not up to standard, since the board is spending large sums of money on seed paddy production every year.

Sincerely,
George Williams