Widespread protest action continues against the gargantuan hike in lease fees and other charges for land controlled by the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA), and the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPPC) will be tabling a motion to have the increases reversed.
According to the Order Paper for Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly, Parliamentarian Dharamkumar Seeraj will be moving that motion. The motion states that Guyana’s economy is in no significant way based on the contributions of the agriculture sector, which sustains the entire Guyanese population and provides economic activities and jobs for thousands of households and communities.
Seeraj, also the General Secretary of the Rice Producers Association (RPA), added that Government’s recent unilaterally imposed hike in land rent and other charges to farmers in the MMA/ADA has resulted in some instances in increases that are in excess of 600 per cent.
“…the rice farmers and the rice industry in particular – which have been under severe duress over the past year – will be additionally hit with the imposition of these increased fees,” the Opposition MP posited. He added that rice farmers in the MMA/ADA will now have to pay land rent of $15,000 per acre – increased from $3,500 in 2016 – besides drainage and irrigation charges.
Seeraj desires that “the National Assembly call on Government to immediately reverse these new increases of fees for land, drainage and other services for the MMA farmers, in the best interest of the nation.”
The draconian hikes in rates and other charges now see rice farmers in the project area being commanded to pay $15,000 per acre – a major increase from the $3500 applicable for land rent and drainage and irrigation charges just last year. Cattle and other crops’ farmers are also now forced to pay $3900, a more-than 100 per cent increase on the previous fee.
Contending that they cannot afford to pay the increases, rice farmers have staged several protest actions to oppose the new charges. The RPA has urged the farmers to resist this draconian increase and show solidarity in the call for the reversal of this decision, which was taken without any consultation with farmers, their association, or any other stakeholder.
Dharamkumar Seeraj
Support for the farmers’ cause has been pouring in since announcement of the draconian charges in January. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had condemned the hike imposed on the farming population. He pointed out that farming is the main economic activity in the Region, and declared himself at a loss to understand why Government would want to put additional burdens on a segment of the population that has no other means of earning a livelihood apart from depending on agriculture.
Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) Chairman Vickcha
Rice farmers protesting the increases
nd Ramphal has said that Agriculture Minister Noel Holder erred by not consulting with stakeholders before making a decision. “At the RDC, we are in solidarity with the farmers of this Region. This proposed increase, if implemented, will only create hardship among our people. This process should be done with consultation with our people. We should meet with them first and listen to what they have to say, and then decide on whether we should increase or not. I am of the view – and I am with the farmers – that there should not be any increase in land rentals or D&I charges,” the Regional Chairman told the protesters a few weeks ago.
