Jonestown residents concerned with high prices for animal feed

Sep 21, 2008 News

…Grow More food campaign extends to Mahaica

Complaints of unattended canals, water problems, damaged bridges and roads, need for financial support, access to land, and high prices for animal feed were yesterday morning raised when the ‘Grow More’ food campaign was extended to Jonestown, Mahaica.
During a meeting, residents used the opportunity to highlight to Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud all the problems affecting their village.
It was indeed a community meeting, as residents gathered under a huge tree in the village, where they met with the minister.
Taking seats on the ground and on pieces of tree trunk while others stood, the residents gathered to voice their concerns.
Of major concern to farmers were the high cost of animal feed and the need to clear canals within the community.
Residents of Jonestown expressed their worry that the community was being neglected by the regional administration.
This prompted the minister to ask the Regional Executive Officer for Region Five, Shafdar Ally, to explain to the community the reasons for the apparent lack of infrastructural development within the community.
Ally explained that many of the projects for that particular area will be done early next year.
By their own admission, the regional administration revealed that no community meeting had been hosted for some time now with residents or the Neighbourhood Democratic Council.
In resolving some of the issues raised by the residents, the minister suggested that the farmers group in the area discuss some of the community problems and make representation to the regional administration and the NCD on behalf of the village.
Persaud said that to resolve some of the drainage problems within the neighbourhood, three 18-inch tubes will be installed to increase the drainage flow.
These, he said, cost some $2M.
According to the Agriculture Minister, the reality is that everything cannot be done at the same time, because of lack of resources.
“Our primary emphasis has been on the big agriculture cultivation areas, trying to get those going well, and then, at the same time, supporting the small farming districts; so we don’t want to neglect one for the other.”
He told residents that he will also try to link the village and the established farmers group in the area with various non-governmental organizations and other groups who want to support farmers.
Tackling the issue of high cost of animal feed, Persaud said that feed stocks that were being used for animal and human consumption were being converted to make bio-fuels, and that triggered a shortage and an escalation in the prices.
“Because rice has gone up, all the by-products of rice have gone up, too,” he said. He pointed out that there has been a restriction on the exports of broken rice and rice bran.
“Exporters were getting US$450 per tonne for broken rice. We had to develop a quota system, whereby we said that once the local market is satisfied in terms of the feed producers, then we will allow the rest to be exported.”
At the same time, Persaud added, the export of rice bran was ‘totally stopped,’ because that, too, was carrying a high price on the international market.
“Some of the producers were trying to buy out our rice bran, and we had to put a ban on it.
When we did that, the prices came down, but the local millers had a problem with storage.”
This, he noted, was as a result of local farmers not purchasing large quantities,
as was expected.
“We had to send officers to examine the bran that was stocked up, and there were all sorts of environmental problems, because it was backing up.
We had to allow some of them to export the excess, because local farmers were not buying it.”
He encouraged farmers to organize themselves, and promised that, with the support of the Guyana Rice Development Board, he would negotiate for them to get the rice bran and broken rice at a reduced price from millers.
“I am sure that the rice millers will say that they can sell farmers in the area at a reduced price, once they can guarantee that you would take a certain amount from them.”
The millers, the minister added, will not be able to sell on an individual basis or in small quantities.
Persaud also used the opportunity to draw attention to the fact that, beginning December, the ministry will be starting a farmer’s training school.
This will facilitate farmers being trained in various aspects of business management.
Following the meeting, planting materials were distributed to residents.

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