Latest update December 4th, 2024 2:40 AM
The stench of the leptocorisaacuta bug in the rice industry
Dear Editor,
We hereby reply to GRDB’s statement in the media dated April 6th, 2017. Is it not ridiculous at all that a simple statement to the press should evoke the ire of the folks at GRDB (Guyana Rice Development Board). It is downright disgraceful. And why so, is because it is the truth. But to be truthful, it is only a tiny part of the whole truth. The whole truth would be that GDRB and its sister agencies have absconded in their duty and strayed away from whatever mandate they subscribed to.
In our district where rice farming is the backbone of the economy they were the sentinels and guardians of it but what happened was they were asleep while pestilence in the form of the paddy bug crept in to decimate our industry. And now, this group of armchair rice-research professionals, say our claims are unfounded. If the stench of the bug- leptocorisaacuta had awakened them earlier we would not have been in the mess we are in presently.
In Region 6 this is not an overnight invasion. GRDB were alerted a decade ago and have made half-hearted gestures towards control via its pamphlets and ‘briefcase’ jeep-visits. Being aware of the potential havoc this bug could cause, it is nothing less than a dereliction of duty of the GRDB officials for not making a concerted attempt to control it. Disputing farmer’s claims of the rice bug infestation is untrue as they now claim is criminal. It is as real as ever.
Farmers were complaining all the time. Rice produced from their infected paddy stank and was unfit for human consumption. Exporters would not touch it hence; those farmers received incredibly low returns for labour. In response, what did GRDB do? They recommended knapsack spraying even when it was obvious the bugs chased out of one field would take refuge in the next field. Rice farmers are a disparate lot and the issue of staggered growth is an eventuality to be taken into account and not to apportion blame. Yet the agency continued on with manual spraying in the face of scarce labour, and expensive drugs.
The agency – GRDB and its officials were well aware of its backwardness. It had to be aware that aerial spraying was the only way to combat the milk-sucking bug. Not to promote it, not to introduce it, not to commit to it was myopia on their part. Blinkered by red tape and unable to raise an argument that is both cogent and rational; that the time had come for aerial spraying was a sad loss to this country. Further, they did not assist a private local Company that did its research, made its investment and was ready for aerial spraying. How could an agency be so derelict of its primary duty? Now that yields are severely affected and farmers are faced with the cost of having to spray several times would the issue of the paddy bug be still underplayed by the GRDB?
If it is that the rice paddy bug is finally recognized as a major setback for the rice industry would they now advocate for aerial spraying? Would they assist financially? Would they clear red-tape and sundry obstacles for it to be instituted ASAP? Consider the following: Rice is a major foreign exchange earner. Through sloth in modernizing and myopia in crop protection, we are in a situation where that stream of income is likely to dry up. Who would be answerable? Surely, not the rice farmers, millers and rice workers. Who will it then be and how will our watchdog agency the GRDB explain to the powers-that-be that they were negligent
Communications Officer
Central and Upper Corentyne Chambers of Commerce
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Deeply concerned about political dysfunction in society
Dear Editor The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) is deeply concerned about the political dysfunction in society that is... more
Haiti: Tragically Descending into Deeper Crisis
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- As gang violence spirals out of control in Haiti, the limitations of international... more
Weekend Cartoon
