Skip to main content

FM
Former Member

Govt’s priority is gold, not rice – RPA head

RPA General Secretary Dharamkumar Seeraj

RPA General Secretary Dharamkumar Seeraj

Rice industry crisis

 

By Kristen Macklingam

 

In light of recent interventions by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration to alleviate burdens borne by gold miners in Guyana, and the declaration that the current low paddy price crisis is a “private arrangement” and not a “Government arrangement”, the impression being formed is that the gold industry is of greater importance than the rice industry.

This was the view expressed by Rice Producers Association (RPA) General Secretary Dharamkumar Seeraj, during an exclusive interview with Guyana Times on Sunday. He stated that like many others in the rice industry, he was baffled at the Government’s position as it relates to Guyana’s struggling rice industry.

On Friday at his first press conference since taking office, President David Granger said that the problem facing the rice industry was the failure of millers to pay farmers which he deemed a “private arrangement’ which he considers not to be a Government arrangement.

However, Seeraj told Guyana Times that Government is however singing a different tune with the gold industry, which is also a private arrangement.

“They (Government) are saying one thing for the gold industry and saying a different thing for the rice industry. The gold industry is a private thing, but they still intervene at a governmental level to offer concessions to the gold miners. Rice farmers are facing the same problem and rice is much bigger than gold. It affects more people, so I fail to understand this Government’s position towards the rice industry by saying that this a private matter,” he posited.

He noted that while the payment issue is of major concern, the current issues facing the rice industry go “beyond that”.

 

Government-to-Government arrangements

The RPA General Secretary explained to Guyana Times that in instances where the export of rice is done through a government contract, rice farmers and even millers still have had to wait long periods before receiving payments.

An example posited is the recent case of Panama, where although the contract was a “Government to Government” agreement, farmers are still awaiting payments.

“Rice has gone to Panama under a Government contract and people have not been paid up to now and three months have gone by. They supplied rice to the Guyana Rice Development Board for onward shipment to Panama. That is a Government-To-Government contract. The millers have not received payments, because payments have not been received from Panama and that is a Government-to-Government arrangement,” Seeraj emphasised.

Following heightened pressure from rice farmers and the crisis in the industry, on Friday, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, committed to the disbursement of some $500 million, which he stated he was ready to hand over “almost immediately” for the first shipment of rice made to Panama.

Guyana Times was further told by Seeraj the problem is not only about payments being made by millers to farmers but rather the issue is about an entire industry that is being affected by low prices on the international market and the need intervention that can keep the industry afloat.

“It has to do with prices and it has to do with what can be done at the govt level to address a crisis in a national industry along the lines of coming up with some guide policy arrangement that can arrest this issue of the low prices,” Seeraj added.

 

Tax concessions, bank interventions

Many farmers and millers are suffering tremendously as a result of the low prices being offered for paddy and the loss of the Venezuelan market.

However, those affected still have loan obligations to local financial institutions that will adversely affect their ability to make the necessary investments for the next crop.

As such, many are hopeful that the David Granger-led Administration will also intervene to facilitate arrangements, which would benefit those who are suffering in the rice industry.

“These were done in the past in the rice industry; arrangements were made with banks at the Government level and concessions were given to the rice farmers. And as we can see with the gold industry, only recently this arrangement that they (government) did with budgetary allowances in terms of the tax concessions on fuel; All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs); engines; pumps etc for the gold industry,” Seeraj distinctively said.

He noted that the APNU/AFC coalition should fulfil its campaign promises to the rice farmers, adding that a mechanism should be instituted to give similar types of concessions, as given in the gold industry, to the rice industry.

He reminded that it was on the 2015 General Elections campaign trail that representatives from the AFC visited the counties of Essequibo and Berbice and promises were made that rice farmers would receive higher prices for their produce.

“They promised the farmers $6000 and $9000 per bag of paddy. These are promises that they made and a lot of farmers voted for them because they believed them. So they can’t say it is a private issue between millers and farmers. Why didn’t they say then with regards to the gold miners recently that theirs is an issue between miners and the buyers of gold?”

Agriculture Minister Holder, during a previous interview with this newspaper, had made it clear that his Government could not intervene to rescue rice farmers.

Asked whether the Government would intervene in any way to ensure rice farmers get some kind of relief, Minister Holder indicated it would be a difficult task.

“Intervening, I think that there are some laws that allow the Government to take over rice millers, mills and that sort of thing. Intervening is done by law, because the Government would have to get this money back from somewhere,” he explained.

Therefore, the Minister indicated that the current crisis was beyond the help of Government, and those millers and rice farmers have to work out among themselves the terms of the outstanding payments. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)

Share Button

 

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

RPA General Secretary Dharamkumar Seeraj

Rice industry crisis

By Kristen Macklingam

yuji22, wha kinda lingam story yuh bring hey bai?

 

This is a cock analysis.

 

 

You mean PNC KoKoBeah.

FM

To KoKoBeah PNC:

 

"Rice has gone to Panama under a Government contract and people have not been paid up to now and three months have gone by. They supplied rice to the Guyana Rice Development Board for onward shipment to Panama. That is a Government-To-Government contract. The millers have not received payments, because payments have not been received from Panama and that is a Government-to-Government arrangement,” Seeraj emphasised."

FM
Originally Posted by yuji22:

To KoKoBeah PNC:

 

"Rice has gone to Panama under a Government contract and people have not been paid up to now and three months have gone by. They supplied rice to the Guyana Rice Development Board for onward shipment to Panama. That is a Government-To-Government contract. The millers have not received payments, because payments have not been received from Panama and that is a Government-to-Government arrangement,” Seeraj emphasised."

Yuji....

Which Govt-to-Govt

Rice Contract yuh talking about....

 

This one which PPP was

Boasting about before Elections...

https://guyana.crowdstack.io/topic/ri...e-a-market-in-panama

 

 

 

 Guyana clinches rice export deal

with Panama

Seated from left: GRDB General Manager, Mr. Jagnarine Singh, Director General of Panama’s Institute of Agriculture Marketing, Mr. Edwin Cardenad signing the rice sales contract. Standing, from left, are Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and RPA General-Secretary, Dharamkumar Seeraj
Seated from left: GRDB General Manager, Mr. Jagnarine Singh, Director General of Panama’s Institute of Agriculture Marketing, Mr. Edwin Cardenad signing the rice sales contract. Standing, from left, are Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and RPA General-Secretary, Dharamkumar Seeraj
FM
Originally Posted by yuji22:

To KoKoBeah PNC:

 

"Rice has gone to Panama under a Government contract and people have not been paid up to now and three months have gone by. They supplied rice to the Guyana Rice Development Board for onward shipment to Panama. That is a Government-To-Government contract. The millers have not received payments, because payments have not been received from Panama and that is a Government-to-Government arrangement,” Seeraj emphasised."

So why don't you all ask Jagdeo

 

1, Why was it a govt to govt contract, and not one DIRECTLY between buyers and sellers?

 

2.  What did the PPP do with the money as this was a PPP arrangement.

 

 

 

Also why are the rice people lying racists.  Gold miners are asking for TAX CONCESSIONS.  They are NOT asking for guaranteed prices, which is what the rice industry screams for.  They understand that the price is what it is, and they need to live with it, or exit the industry.

 

The rice industry behaves like prima donnas, who believe that they are entitled to a living.  They ought to go find their own markets, just like every other industry in Guyana!  Rice millers are some of the WEALTHIEST people in Guyana. They are fully able to spend money to develop markets.

FM

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×