Region Six paddy price falls

Nov 06, 2016 News

-Chairman seeking urgent intervention

Over the past few months farmers of Region Six have been plagued with various issues with the

Region Six Chairman, David Armogan

most emphasis being placed on the price of paddy per bag and irrigation.
Recently, Kaieteur News sat down with the Regional Chairman, Mr. David Armogan as he shed light on what has been happening with rice and irrigation in the region for the past few months.
According to the Regional Chairman, problems have been escalating as it relates to the price per bag of paddy. He noted that farmers are working at a loss and have been making very little to no profit for the sale of paddy per bag.
“Nand Persaud has been taking off quite a lot of paddy, as well as the other mills and the problem with farmers still is the price”.
He said that the price per bag of paddy is still too low, at the same time pointing out that since the loss of the Venezuelan market the farmers have not been able to recover.
It was also highlighted that because they are dealing with the world market, the world market price has not met the standards of the farmers. “The farmers are currently getting $2500-$3000 a bag per paddy. They would expect $3500-$4000 per bag.
Many farmers are complaining. Armogan said that the profit is marginal compared to what they were getting with the Venezuelan market.
The Chairman is lobbying for an intervention. He said that the farmers are crying out. The Chairman is also urging rice farmers to avoid losing again, as the region on Monday last, has begun to pump irrigation water for the new rice crop.
“As I speak irrigation water is being pumped into Black Bush Polder and the irrigation water coming out of Black Bush Polder should be able to supply about 35,000 acres of rice land.”
“So the people in Black Bush Polder have about 18,000 acres that will have to be satisfied,” he said.
He stated that the irrigation water being pumped should be satisfactory to the farmers. “As the water is being pumped through Black Bush Polder the farmers there will pull the water for themselves and then when they are finished the roadside farmers who have about 20,000 acres will also be benefiting from the irrigation water coming out of Black Bush”.
Meanwhile, according to Armogan the region was asked by the Ministry of Agriculture to advise farmers in the region that if they cannot be ready to plant the new crop before December 31, they should hold off until the next crop.
He underscored that the region will stop pumping irrigation water in mid-February next year. “It means that if you plant from now to the end of the year you will have irrigation water to grow your crops.”
“If you planting later than December 31, it means we will have to run irrigation water till sometime in April.”
However, Armogan said that the region is not prepared to pump irrigation water past February 2017 since “It will have implications for fuel and additional wear and tear on the pumps”.
He is pleading with farmers who intend to plant rice for this new crop to complete their sowing by December 31.
According to the Chairman, if farmers choose not to follow the advice they will be planting rice at their own risk.
Armogan also divulged that the two pumps in the Number 52/74 Villages will start working from next week. Farmers in the area can look forward to irrigation water during that period.

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