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Research on paddy bug management was disrupted under the previous government

Aug 12, 2020 Letters

Dear Editor

I will be happy if you can permit me space in your letter column to bring attention to matters of national importance. Before I do, I want to congratulate H.E. President Dr. Irfaan Ali and his newly appointed cabinet especially the subject minister, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, Minister of Agriculture (MoA), who I know will bring lot of newness, experience and energy to this ministry. Now for serious issues at hand need to be addressed immediately by the President and MoA.
The General Manager and Deputy General Manager of GRDB should do the dignified thing and resign or be investigated and fired for the very disturbing state they led the rice industry and the premier Rice Research Station, Burma, into. Many farmers like me have carefully and helplessly witnessed that no good can ever come out of the rice industry under the watch of those two politically appointed managers. The facts are glaring and the display of clear actions in support of their former political masters (APNU+AFC) that don’t care about the welfare of the staff, workers, poor rice farmers and rice industry of the country.
They speedily discontinued the National Paddy Bug Management Unit, which was set up by the PPP/C government and had a dedicated 110 million dollars funding put aside for conducting comprehensive studies for proper understanding of the paddy bug and development of comprehensive strategies for control of the pest in Guyana. Now five years after, we still have paddy bugs ripping the industry apart, because this programme was terminated. We see in the run up to the election, they started a spray programme two crop ago, where millions was spent as a political tool or putting a plaster on the sore with no substantial relief. This programme was carried out in some selected regions and truly lacked transparency, with a few selected farmers having benefited. Much more needs to be done on paddy bug research so the rice industry can stay alive.
I was told that there was a modernization plan for the research station that started by the PPP/C administration under Chair, Badri Persaud. This was discontinued as soon as the politically appointed managers took office. The evidence is there: you would see that the staff housing quarters are in a deplorable state; steps are falling off buildings; rain wetting staff; and houses are poorly maintained in the research compound; laboratories facilities are grossly neglected with numerous electrical and other defects; and all infrastructure at the Research Station was left to run down to the ground. Likewise, the poor maintenance policies of machineries, equipment and vehicles at the Research Station is known and evident. These issues and many more caused the research programme to suffer tremendously due to inadequate funds to purchase basic items. I was told by researchers that these managers are giving them basket to fetch water. How can you deliver under these deplorable conditions and why should this be allowed to continue?
Another big problem is the gross mismanagement of the rice export market, particularly, the Panama rice deal and milling licence. This caused many millers to owe farmers for prolonged and extended periods, resulting in destabilization of the rice industry. Farmers and their families continued to punish with some unable to even plant again. Millers who owe large sums to farmers were given licence to continue to operate.
Further, these politically appointed managers give away millions to the Special Purpose Unit/ GUYSUCO for the Wales rice project. That put the organization in serious financial woes. Until now, not a single farmer benefited for any seed paddy from that project. Not a single dollar was repaid to the Board.
I respectfully asked you President H.E. Dr. Ali, Hon. Minister of Agriculture and government team to step in now, and save the rice industry so that each and every one of the citizens of this beautiful land of Guyana can truly reap the benefits and services of this noble organization.
Yours truly,
Suresh Rampersad

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