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No CET waiver approval for rice in CARICOM – Persaud
Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, during the meeting with stakeholders of the rice industry yesterday.
Guyana will not be approving any requests for a regional tax waiver for rice by CARICOM states and this country has more than enough rice to supply.
Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, made this clear yesterday during a meeting with rice millers, representatives of Guyana Rice Producers Association (RPA) and the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB).
During the session at the Ministry of Agriculture, Persaud also said that figures are indicating that rice production will be higher than initially estimated due to several interventions undertaken by government to mitigate effects of the current El Nino conditions on the industry.
This is even in the face of some areas experiencing losses because of the dry conditions.
Minister Persaud urged that farmers be treated fairly and given a good price for paddy this current crop.
From all indications, he said, prices and yields this crop are reported to be better than for the said period last year.
The Minister also called on the GRDB to work with exporters on finding new markets and ensuring new markets are fully tapped. This included markets like neighbouring Venezuela.
All the stakeholders yesterday agreed that the gains made in the rice industry must be continued.
The meeting is part of an ongoing interaction with all stakeholders within the agriculture sector as the administration continues to devise ways of bolstering the sector.
There have been complaints recently of attempts by some rice millers, especially in the Essequibo area, to drive down prices by creating what has been described by rice officials as a “cartel” situation.
With prices on the world market inching upwards for rice, rice farmers locally are looking for respite after a see-sawing experience prompted by the dry conditions brought on by the El Nino.
Recently, the local price went from $2800 per bag of paddy to around $3500.
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