Latest update December 19th, 2024 3:22 AM
Berbice farmers protest low payments for paddy
Some of the farmers protesting
Angry farmers and representatives of the Rice Producers’ Association took to the streets on Monday to protest the unfulfilled promises made to them by the current government during the elections campaign.
Over the past week farmers have been letting their voices be heard by protesting. Last week more than 400 farmers protested in front the Ministry of Agriculture in Georgetown. Yesterday, farmers from mainly Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice, protested in front the Regional Democratic Council’s Office Region Six for promises that were made to them by the newly appointed Region Six Executive Officer, Dr. Veerasammy Ramayya.
According to an RPA representative, over the weekend outreaches were conducted with farmers across Berbice. The farmers have indicated that things are not as they should be since they are faced with a lot of difficulties, such as low prices for their paddy.
Some of the farm roads are not being prepared and fixed as promised on the campaign trail by the current administration.
According to one farmer they were promised $23 Billion in the Budget by the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan. The money was to pay over 7000 rice farmers. This, the farmer said, is not a promise that is being fulfilled. The farmers are now hearing different things.
The farmer asserted, “Farmers protested countrywide and nobody came out and talk to us at the Ministry. Then we get to hear that that the Minister gone on 21 days leave. The man wuk two month and get three week leave, so we don’t know what going on”.
“One of them who get big position now, who promised the farmers $6000 per bag of paddy, hiding from the farmers.”
Another irate farmer stressed, “I am pretty disappointed about the promises made by this government when they were in opposition, especially to the rice farmers, wooing them to vote for them. They promised the people, ‘Vote for us, that the PPP is paying you cheap through the Petro Caribe deal, they robbing you, all kinda thing they doing you, put us in power and we will take care of everything in this country, including you the rice farmers. We will make life better for you and your family and you will see the change when you vote us in to office.”
“The people believed them and the people who voted for them? That is irrelevant now. But what is relevant now is the reality, that they are in office today and we want to see those promises that were made to the people come to fruition.
“He is the government’s representative here and he is locked up in his office and we are demanding that Ramayya speak to us.”
In an invited comment with the Region Six Chairman, David Armogan, he underscored that “we are here this morning to talk to the rice farmers because I have seen quite a number of them coming out here to protest the price that they are getting for the paddy.
“What they are saying to me is that quite a lot of them voted for the coalition, and the coalition promised $5000 and $6000 per bag of paddy. That is why they are here because Ramayya who has now been appointed the REO did promise them on television that he is going to see to it that they get $6000 per bag of paddy.
“Today the farmers are here to remind him about his promises made and I think he should come out and talk to the farmers because he was the one who made the promise; you can’t make empty promises, fool the people, get them to vote for you and then turn your back on them, that’s irresponsible behaviour.”
Yesterday, Dr Veerasammy Ramayya stated that he was unaware that the farmers were protesting in front his office.
“I don’t know about that, because for this past week I’ve just been brushing through the headlines of the newspapers. There is so much work to be done and I am just putting my attention in the work because my office got so much of things to be done.
“I am not afraid to meet anybody.”
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