45% of E’bo rice crop affected by paddy bug

May 02, 2019 News

President of the Essequibo Paddy Farmers’ Association, Naith Ram

More trouble continues to plague the local rice industry on the Essequibo Coast, now that a majority of rice crops have reportedly suffered tremendous damage during the last harvest.
According to the President of the Essequibo Paddy Farmers’ Association, Naith Ram, the association has recorded that 45% of the rice crops on the Essequibo Coast have been severely affected by the paddy bug infestation.
He also revealed that the infestation during the final crop last year was worse. Ram explained that the infestation is somewhat normal during the autumn crop. According to him, the yield during the last crop was great. He noted, however, that despite the presence of a GRDB entomologist, the damage to paddy has been severe.

A farmer displays a handful of the damaged paddy

“They are both plus and negative within the industry. Yield for the crop has increased but the damage has been very severe, and I am very much disappointed because GRDB extension staff and the entomologist were here for over two weeks now doing outreaches to farmers, distributing drugs to them, and enlightening them how to use the drug to control the paddy bug.”
Ram alleged that there appeared to be favouritism in the distribution of pesticides, underlining the fact that close friends and relatives seemed to be benefiting from the distribution system.
He went on to say “we have those poor farmers who have five acres and ten acres are not gaining access to the drugs. They are the ones who do not have the resources, and I believe that they should have more access to the drugs. I believe that there should be an equitable distribution of drugs. We should not select special persons.”

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