Scores of rice farmers in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) are still owed and according to the Opposition
PPP/C Councillor Vilma Da Silva
People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) RDC councillors the industry is not being given the kind of attention it requires, hence the region’s economy is declining.
At the recent June statutory meeting opposition councillor Showkat Ali related that to date scores of rice farmers are still owed by prominent rice millers within the region, and government keeps saying that rice were shipped to the Panama market.
Ali deliberated that government said it has sought new markets but questioned where are those markets and why is the negotiations process still ongoing. He said the livelihood of persons are significantly disaffected due to the negative effects of the industry.
Ali said he is not sure where the future of the rice industry is headed and who are there to actually represent rice farmers.
Another PPP/C councillor Brian Persaud called for a urgent meeting to be held with key stakeholders including GRDB and RPA on the way forward.
On that note opposition councillor Vilma Da Silva called on government to put the rice cereal factory into operation so that employment can be created for persons, and farmers can get market for their rice.
The councillors then called on the APNU+AFC RDC councillor Naithram to enlighten the council on the rice industry as he is a representative of rice farmers and also a board member of GRDB. Naithram was the one who had staged several protests against the PPP/C Government agitating for better prices for rice farmers in the past.
In responding, Naithram said indeed farmers are still owed by rice millers in Region Two and alleged that the Guyana Rice Miller’s Association has a few millers who control most of the markets. He said that is unfair.
He said there are instances where rice contracts are only going to certain millers and described the situation as biased. Naithram said several rice farmers have also complained to him about non-payments and advised that those farmer take the millers to court.
Naithram also accepted that due to the negative effects of the rice industry persons spending power has been restricted and thus it’s hampering the economy.
Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt told fellow councillors that he has forwarded several correspondence to Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder and to date none of his emails were answered.
He said too that during the El ñino crisis he also assessed the situation and sent a full report to the Minister yet no response was given. The chairman added that on several occasion he called on the Minister of Agriculture to meet with the commercial banks to discuss the rescheduling of loans as many farmers owe the bank. Suggestion was also made for a consultation process to be undertaken among the ministry, millers, and farmers.
When contact were made with the rice millers who owe farmers, this newspaper was told that payments will begin in two weeks’ time and that the shipment of paddy had not yet reached Panama and other the other countries which purchased the rice.
