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Region Two rice farmers continue to suffer under private millers
Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder yesterday made his long overdue visit to the Essequibo coast. He was there to address matters affecting local rice farmers.
Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder (centre) and officials on his visit to Region Two.
These farmers seem to be the only ones in Guyana that continue to face a series of catastrophic events in the rice industry. They are already paid the lowest in Guyana- $2400 to $2700 per bag of paddy. They also face the added pressure such as the non-payment for their paddy. Some farmers have not received payment for the past six months except for an advance payment.
The farmers cried out, “It takes $600,000 to produce 10 acres of rice in one crop. How is it possible, then, for us the farmers to plant a second crop if the millers still can’t pay us? Our only option then is to go into debts.
“And from one debt we go into another all because millers refuse to pay us our money.” The developing situation has caused much frustration on farmers and has even moved some to the point of suicide.
While non-payment for paddy continues to be an issue, farmers also complained bitterly about millers grading paddy contrary to procedure. “When we take our paddy to the mill the millers collect the paddy, they take it in a room and them grade it with you (the farmer) outside the room. So you can’t see what happening in the grading room.”
The paddy on the other hand is supposed to be graded with the farmer’s involvement. Farmers also complained that the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) continues to do nothing about the situation.
One GRDB official explained, “There is a 48-hour system of appeal that can be used against millers. If a farmer notices that grading is not done according to procedure he can make an appeal within 48 days.”
It was suggested at the meeting that the government should put measures in place to establish its own rice mill to rescue farmers from private millers. Even if it means allocating at least $5 million from the GuySuCo bailout money towards establishing a rice mill, farmers would be much grateful.
Minister Holder noted, however, that such an act would be “selfish to try to fortify one industry by sacrificing another.”
On the matter of establishing a governmental mill he stated that the government at one point had its own mill. However when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stepped in, it restricted the government from getting involved in private affairs of the country.
“But I am personally on board with establishing our own Government mill.” Farmers still questioned, “If it is a private affair how is that the government still exports our rice to international markets? Why don’t they leave the exporting to the private millers?”
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