Berbice private sector blisters GRDB for failing to assist farmers in paddy bug losses

Apr 01, 2019 News

A farmer who was forced to dump his paddy after it did not reach the standard because of the paddy bug infestation.

The Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce council has acknowledged the ongoing issue with rice farmers in Berbice. As a result it has chastised the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) for failing to provide enough support to farmers who are losing millions of dollars to the paddy bug infestation on their crops.
Dubbing the issue as an “emergency” in the rice industry countrywide, the Chamber is now calling on GRDB to execute aerial spraying per crop, countrywide.
An exercise that can “take care of pests in abandoned acreage, dams and trenches and the farmers take it from there,” the Chamber said.
In the same vein, the Chamber is calling on the relevant authorities to grant permission to Nand Persaud & Company Ltd. to do aerial spraying.
Their completed facility to accommodate aerial spraying has been lying dormant for close to four years.
According to the Chamber, it is expected that approximately 20% of the entire crop of 58,200 acres in Region Six, would be ravaged by paddy bugs.
From an average yield of 44 bags per acre, approximately 500,000 bags of paddy would be lost in Region Six alone.
At the going price this would translate to around $1.4 billion.
The Chamber said that at a time of declining business activities in Berbice, “this loss is heart rending for the Berbice economy”.
The chamber argued that GRDB is collecting $87 per bag of paddy harvested and as such “should have provided more support to the farmers. More research and other biological methods of pest control have to be explored. It seems they underestimated the effects of the paddy bug infestation on the crop.”
In light of the growing concern expressed by members, they are also suggesting the re-integration of wholesale purchasing of fertilizers so that it may be re-sold to farmers “either the G.R.D.B or the Ministry of Agriculture should look into the quality of fertilizers being imported into the country”.
The Chamber also wants the Government to ensure that the pesticide board is equipped to monitor the levels of active ingredients in the pesticide imported to ensure it is up to the standard.
It is their belief that with the present state of the rice industry, duty free diesel for the next two crops will help farmers greatly since they have already endured massive losses in the fields.
The GRDB just recently met with farmers in Region Six to discuss the issue but did not respond to or concentrated on the suggestion to have aerial spraying done when it was brought up by rice farmer Leekha Rambrich, and Raj by Lakram.
The Board only recommended to the farmers to continue spraying their crops using the boards guidelines.

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