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‘Govt. will not abandon rice farmers’ – Agriculture Minister
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha
Kaieteur News – The Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha on Tuesday said that the Government of Guyana (GoG) will not abandon rice farmers, stemming from comments made by former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan.
During a live broadcast two Sundays ago, Jordan told viewers that the wanton handout of various subsidies to support the industry was a misuse of taxpayers’ money.
The subsidies to rice farmers include the removal of the commission from the Guyana Rice Development board (GRDB), distribution of free fertiliser and duty-free concession on machinery and equipment.
“It has provided cash transfers for the farmer. It has provided cash subsidy to subsidise the low price. It is subsidising an insurance premium, and of course, they go easy on farmers when it comes to the purpose of income tax with concession,” Jordan said.
He highlighted that there is not much that can be given to rice farmers except an increase to the price subsidy, “but this is a total misuse of taxpayers money… total misuse of taxpayers’ money in that this whole country is suffering high cost-of-living… all kinds of stories.”
In response, Mustapha said Jordan’s recommendation that smaller farmers should exit rice production is not only reckless but also reveals a deep disregard for the thousands of families who depend on this vital industry.
He reminded that the Coalition, during its 2015 to 2020 tenure, of which Jordan served, blatantly repeated that “rice is a private business”, allowing farmers to struggle.
According to him, “When Panama failed to pay for rice supplied under the Coalition government, farmers and millers were left to fend for themselves, with no intervention or assistance from the very government that Mr. Jordan was a part of. It wasn’t until the Dr. Irfaan Ali-led PPP/C government got into office that millers and farmers received those outstanding payments.”
The Agriculture Minister said that the Irfaan Ali-led administration has shown a different approach with the President meeting farmers himself only recently on the Corentyne Coast.
Mustapha highlighted that government plans to increase the national storage capacity across rice-producing regions to allow Guyana to stockpile up to five million tonnes of rice.
Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan
Additionally, the Minister said, “President Ali also spoke about investing in better rice varieties to deliver higher yields and maintain competitiveness in global markets, and the introduction of agri-business diversification. This will include high-value initiatives such as cage farming for crabs to boost cash flow and reduce risks for farmers.”
Mustapha therefore noted that this was contrary to Jordan’s proposal to push farmers out of the industry, disregarding that rice is not only a commercial product but a cornerstone of Guyana’s rural economy, food security, and national identity.
To this end, he underscored, “The PPP/C Government will not abandon rice farmers. Instead, it is investing in infrastructure, research, and diversification to ensure that Guyana’s rice industry emerges stronger and more resilient in the face of global challenges.”
Recently, rice farmers have been complaining bitterly of paddy prices which they described as “unsustainable”.
This newspaper understands that the cost per bag of paddy has declined from $4,000 to $2,800. It was reported that government previously expressed its commitment to engage rice farmers and millers to assess and address the situation as soon as possible.
President Ali alluded to an “all-time” high rice production, during a press conference. He said, “When you look at the rice production globally, is it an all-time high, with major producers, exporters such as India, Vietnam and Brazil, having record levels of production, not only record levels of production, but record level of stockpile.” Consequently, Ali explained that this glut in the market is responsible for the low prices.
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