Jamaicans tight-lipped on confiscated rice shipped from Guyana

– attempts by the GRDB to obtain information proving futile

The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) is apparently being sidelined by Jamaican authorities with regard to obtaining information about recent reports surfacing that a shipment of 70 metric tonnes of White Cinderella rice from Guyana had been confiscated in Jamaica after it was found unsuitable for human consumption.

General Manager of the GRDB, Nizam Hassan, told the media on Tuesday that such allegations have reached the public domain already and if such information is in the hands of the Jamaican authorities then it would augur well that such issues be communicated to the exporting country, which in this case, is Guyana.
“There are so many things that we have thought of but let’s not speculate here. Let’s wait for the Jamaicans to tell us but I think that we need to know. Because let’s say that there is an issue from the sending country that needs to be looked at that needs to be improved, that needs to be corrected, that information would help the process.”
He explained that since the allegation was made known to the GRDB after being publicised by local media attempts by the GRDB to verify the facts about this situation have proved futile.
“We immediately contacted the agency, the Jamaica Food Storage and Prevention of Infestation Division. We contacted them, they reported that they could not give us any information…they have not provided us with any information as I speak to you,” said Hassan.
Although the GRDB came up empty-handed in this case, the only other immediate alternative, after this failed attempt to seek an answer or clarification into the matter, was to speak with the local supplier of the rice in question.
“We then contacted the supplier of the rice, because we knew who the supplier was. The supplier of the rice informed us that the buyer, that he has been speaking to a number of buyers and none of his buyers have said to him anything with regards to supply. In fact, the supplier informed us that he has been fully paid for the supplies of his rice,” he added.
He explained that more articles about the allegations were being publicised by various media houses and as such, the GRDB attempted to make direct contact with the international buyer of the rice. However, to date, the buyer in question has not divulged any information to the GRDB.
“We learnt through that article who the buyer with alleged confiscation was. We then contacted that buyer, that buyer did not also provide us with any information. So, as we speak to you we have no additional information with regards to the issues surrounding the alleged confiscation of rice that was exported to Jamaica.”
Hassan added that the GRDB has turned to the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Guyana to help seek the relevant information from Jamaican authorities about this matter.