– Govt accused of ignoring pleas of affected farmers
Since the Mahaica, Mahaicony Abary/Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) made sweeping increases in land rental rates, the pleas of farmers to the Government to reverse these have fallen on deaf ears.
According to rice magnate Beni Sankar, the increases are not helping to alleviate
A protest by rice farmers outside the Agriculture Ministry
the difficulties faced by rice farmers and the subsequent social ills. Sankar, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kayman Sankar and Associates, is of the view that those getting yields below 25 bags per acre are the worst-off as a result.
“Generally, the farmers are very efficient and produce way above the national average of two tons (32 bags per) acre,” Sankar said. “At this level, they can make in excess of 25 per cent (per) crop on their investment and lots more when it’s above that yield.”
“Unfortunately,” Sankar observed, “there are many farmers who don’t cultivate 25 (bags per) acre and there (are) no other jobs where he can enhance his earnings. It has been shown that farmers farming below 25 (bags per) acre do not even clear the minimum wage, resulting in lots of discontent and complaints.”
According to Sankar, financial problems among the farming communities can lead to dire societal effects, including an increase in alcohol consumption and social problems.
“With the Government increasing land rent and Drainage and Irrigation charges, (this) will not help the situation.”
Farmers are paid by millers according to the grade of paddy produced, ranging from A to C. But for the longest time, farmers have been paid between $1500 and $3000 per bag of paddy. Coupled with this have been challenges such as paddy bug infestations.
Rice farmers from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) had protested over the increases in land rental rates by the MMA/ADA, which were announced earlier this year. In March, a group of irate farmers had gathered outside the Agriculture Ministry, where they vented their frustration over the 2017 hikes.
The Agriculture Ministry announced the increase in land rent from $3500 to $15,000 per acre, which represented a 600 per cent increase and other rates from $1000 to $7000. The MMA/ADA had stated that the fee was implemented so that it could take care of drainage and irrigation.
During the protest, the farmers clearly outlined that they could not afford the increases, highlighting that the future of their children was in jeopardy.
“From $1000 an acre we ah pay over $7000 an acre, is better de Government take back de land and plant um heself; if you can’t plant to survive, you got to make de jail lil bit mo big and abbe ah get mine in de jail… wha de lil child dem gone do when they grow, crime escalate high and higher,” a protester lamented. He further vented that these increases are coupled with a rising cost of living.
Meanwhile, a farmer from Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice (WCB), expressed similar concerns. He, along with other farmers, noted Agriculture Minister Noel Holder has repeatedly ignored their calls for dialogue. The WCB farmer also decried the reduced earnings farmers have been receiving for their paddy.
“We (are) getting a very hard time with the MMA and Minister for Agriculture. In the MMA scheme, you cannot get more than 25-30 bags of paddy,” the WCB farmer expressed. The farmers told the press that while they were receiving $1300 for a bag of paddy, it was noted that manure amounts to $1000 per bag.
“They recommend that you got to throw three doses, [but] where you gon find this money from?” the WCB farmer pondered. “This Minister does not realise what’s going on with the farmers,” he lamented.
Moments after their demonstration wrapped up, the protestors took their cries to the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo at his Church Street office. It was explained that the farmers condemned the “huge increases” in land rent, drainage and irrigation rates, lease fees and Value Added Tax (VAT) on agricultural inputs, equipment and machinery.
In a subsequent press statement from the Office of the Opposition Leader, the call was made for Government to curtail its high-handed approach in dealing with farmers, whose concerns are genuine and legitimate.
Last month, a motion by the parliamentary Opposition to have the increases rescinded was defeated by the Government side in the National Assembly. For the Government’s part, it had stated that the current rate could not sustain the Authority’s operations.
