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Region 2 Rice Sector Starved of Development Under the PPP Government
Dear Editor,
For decades, Region Two has stood firmly behind the PPP government. Our economy is built on agriculture, with rice farming as our backbone. Nearly 60% of residents depend on it, while another 20% grow cash crops and 10% raise livestock. Yet despite our loyalty and our critical role in Guyana’s food production, the rice sector here has been left to deteriorate.
Every crop season, rice farmers face the same exhausting battle to get a fair price for paddy. The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the government have never taken proactive steps to set a standard price before harvesting. Only after farmers protest do the Minister or Vice President rush in to “negotiate” with millers. This is not governance, it is political damage control at the expense of hardworking farmers.
Over the years, the situation has worsened. At times, only one miller has dominated the market, leaving farmers with no choice. Many have been forced to dump paddy last crop due to spoilage or leave crops unharvested. Trucks loaded with paddy have sat for days before reaching the mill, causing spoilage. If this sole buyer were to stop purchasing in coming crop, our entire rice sector could collapse overnight.
The Ministry of Agriculture has failed to provide a backup plan for Region Two’s rice farmers. Instead of pouring billions into soybeans and corn projects, why not invest in initiatives that give rice farmers options? Why not build a government-owned rice mill in Region Two to break the monopoly? The government should ask people benefitting from the soy and corn initiative for their votes rather than the farmers who have stood by them for decades?
We all know that competition drives better prices. In the past, farmers sold to multiple millers like Guyana Stockfeed Ltd. and Abdool Hack Rice Mill-Harlem. But recently, this government, eliminated such opportunities. During the last crop, they deliberately docked one of the ferries for “repairs” at the start of harvest season, creating massive congestion at Supenaam and Parika stellings and preventing farmers from transporting paddy to alternative buyers. This was not an accident it was a decision that directly hurt farmers.
The much-hyped crop insurance scheme also raises serious questions. Why are we paying millions in premiums to a private insurance company when the same money could be invested directly in the rice sector? Not all farmers face flooding or drought, meaning many will never benefit from this programme. A far better approach would be to give each farmer $200 for every bag of paddy harvested, a direct benefit to all. Worse still, the scheme is open to abuse, with some farmers able to deliberately flood their crops to claim insurance, then replant weeks later. If the goal is truly to protect farmers, why not invest in better drainage and irrigation to prevent these problems altogether? In addition, the PPP has promised a storage facility, but we all know this alone isn’t feasible. Again, who will be responsible for the purchasing of paddy, drying, and marketing? Rice farmers cannot simply take paddy to a storage facility and then return to collect whatever was stored,the process and responsibility go far beyond that.
Billions are budgeted every year for agriculture, yet the rice farmers of Essequibo have seen no meaningful improvement in their livelihoods. We have been loyal. We have been patient. But loyalty should not mean neglect. Now that the PPP government has finished their campaign in Region Two, rice farmers have heard what are their plans for the rice sector which, frankly, are not anything significant. Whichever political party, whether the APNU or the WIN, decides to implement practical solutions to help our rice farmers will earn their support and votes.
Yours faithfully,
S. Mohamed
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