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Former Member

Rice farmers to Govt: “Give us the $23B now”

As local industry wilts

– Hundreds protest against Govt’s alleged deception

The $23 billion promised by the David Granger-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government to the challenged rice industry is still to be paid, and farmers are at their wits’ end as the situation, for which they were earnestly promised relief, worsens.

Close to 400 rice farmers from across the country flocked the outskirts of the Agriculture Ministry on Thursday, and although they put on a peaceful protest, their cries for help and relief were loud. Farmers travelled from as far as Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and the Upper Corentyne, Berbice Region hoping to send a message to the new Government, that it has a responsibility to keep its promises.

The close to 400 farmers along the Vlissengen Road entrance to the Agriculture Ministry

The close to 400 farmers along the Vlissengen Road entrance to the Agriculture Ministry

Finance Minister Winston Jordan, when he presented the country’s largest budget ever on August 10, had declared that Government had set aside some $23 billion for the industry, which was already feeling the brunt of Government’s fallout with neighbouring Venezuela, through the PetroCaribe deal. Farmers had begun pleading with Government to work towards the restoration of that deal, which benefited the more than 7000 rice farmers across the country. The farmers are also claiming the promise made by the Government, during its time on the campaign trail, that it would make available payments of up to $9000 per bag of paddy.

But those promises, according to the farmers, were a mere sham, as Government, up until now, cannot say where the money is, or when it will be paid.

Hurting
A week into the new crop, farmers are hurting, at least that is what they expressed while speaking with this publication before peacefully marching around the Ministry, encircling the Ministry of the Presidency as well. The prices farmers are receiving per paddy vary across the country. According to them, they are now being offered as low as $800 per bag and at the most $1900, in some regions.

“We are not begging for $7000 and $8000, give us what we were receiving last crop, that’s all we want,” a West Coast Demerara farmer identified as Kardial told Guyana Times.

“We need $4000 per bag paddy, because we have these problems with fertilisers and drugs. We presently have things with the bank and those things ; $2000 per bag cannot do anything for us. And if we make this rice industry fall and the sugar industry fall, it means all of us without counting colours or races, all of us will punish in this country,” said Ramchand, a farmer from the West Coast.

He said the last crop farmers in his region were receiving $3000 -$3500 per bag paddy, and even with that amount, there were tremendous difficulties.

Another farmer from Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Narvin Ramdin said “the $1900 and $1800 we receiving cannot compensate us. One plot rice cost about one million dollars and the bank coming and take everything you have.

Now you know long time you know your children would cry, now a papa a cry more than the children. The farmers are frustrated.”
He said if Government could give the farmers at least $3000 that should be able to get them back on their feet.

Another Yakusari, Black Bush Polder farmer, Lionel Soman told Guyana Times that added to the issue of low paddy prices is the non-payment of monies from last crop.

“We have another problem added to this. We sell rice over five months ago and we cannot get our monies as yet. We hear that they have given rice farmers and millers, but I want them to come see that the rice millers pay us our money.”
He said since last month he owes some $2million on his truck and was fearful that it could be taken away.

Representing the farmers from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Ramlagan Singh said Government should seek to renew the Petro Caribe deal, which he said has helped him and the thousands of farmers over the last 10 years.

“We are asking them to go back and renegotiate the deal so that we could get better prices for our paddy. Added to that many of the millers have not paid the farmers in Region Six, and now this coming crop, the farmers are getting now an average between $1500 to $2400 per bag paddy.”

He said this was most ridiculous since the cost of production per bag paddy is $3000 and the farmers were getting $2000. As such, he said Government must intervene to save the rice industry; the main pillar of the economy.

Grim
While many of the farmers shouted in unison for better conditions, others silently held their placards, sending a grim message to Government for it to intervene, or suffer the consequences.

There were talks that the farmers, who may not gather in such a capacity at any one time for now, will carry out their protests in their respective region, an activity they hope to continue until Government listens to their cries.

Rice Producers Association (RPA)  General Secretary Dharmkumar Seeraj said the new Administration has duped the hapless farmers.  He said his enquiries of government’s promised $23 billion have come up empty as neither the Minister of Agriculture or the Minister of Finance who made the announcement could give any information.

Seeraj said the industry under the current Administration was bound to suffer blows as no attempt was being made to arrest the situation, which is leaving the many farmers. He added that while Government has stepped in for an equally important industry – the mining sector, the same attention should be paid to the rice industry.

“Rice over the years has been the largest earner of foreign exchange for this country. It is the best vehicle for rural development…. Rice has been pumping up this economy. Now if you are going to turn a blind eye to your largest earner, then you don’t have the interest of the country at heart, if you are going to concentrate on a few miners and leave out your largest foreign exchange earner, you shooting yourself in the foot,” he said.

He said right now the only way to address this issue was for Government to find the money that was promised to the farmers.

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Rice farmers sell their paddy to millers, and millers pay the farmers.

Some millers export rice on their own, while others sell the rice to the GRDB which in turn exports the rice. GRDB has paid millers for rice received last crop. However, some millers collected the $$million payment but have not paid farmers for their paddy. It is not fair to blame the government.

 

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Rice farmers sell their paddy to millers, and millers pay the farmers.

Some millers export rice on their own, while others sell the rice to the GRDB which in turn exports the rice. GRDB has paid millers for rice received last crop. However, some millers collected the $$million payment but have not paid farmers for their paddy. It is not fair to blame the government.

 

While the PNC was in opposition it was fair to blame the government. Under a PNC government it is unfair to blame the government.

 

A massive uprising will bring down the PNC.

FM

Led by GRPA… Rice farmers picket Ministry of the Presidency, MoA – vow countrywide demonstrations if demands not acceded to

 

SOME 300+ rice farmers from around the country have taken to the streets, protesting outside the Ministry of the Presidency and the Ministry of Agriculture to press demands for attention to what they term the current ‘crisis’ facing the rice industry.Under determined leadership of Dharamkumar Seeraj, General Secretary of the Rice Producers’ Association, the protesters converged on Vlissengen Road in Georgetown, braving the sweltering heat of the midday sun as they hoisted placards on which were stated their demands.

 

“All is not well in the rice industry,” they insist. “Rice farmers are in crisis. We are feeling the pressure and cannot continue like this,” they said.

 

But while their situation is admittedly dire, they claim that officials of the Government are, through the print and electronic media, creating the impression that everything is ‘hunky dory’ when that is not the case.

 

Moreover, they were incensed that, because of pressures facing them, just two weeks ago, an Essequibo rice farmer lost hope, buckled and committed suicide after being owed some $6M by a rice miller who failed to pay him.

 

The protesters began their agitation at Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast last Thursday following the suicide death of the rice farmer whose only name was given as ‘Mikey’. Farmers are claiming that ‘Mikey’ lost hope, and this must be brought to the attention of the Government, so that the relevant officials could know and appreciate the difficulties rice farmers are facing. According to Seeraj, the reality is that people don’t know the plight of the rice farmers, and those who know are silent on it.

 

“Rice farmers’ situation is different from what is being told. They are feeling the pressure,” he declared.

 

Sporadic demonstrations have been planned for other rice-producing communities, but the farmers shifted their protest to the administrative centre of Government because they anticipate that their activities would have greater impact here.

 

Yesterday’s protestors were drawn from Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six; and Seeraj has said it is hoped that the demonstrations will send a powerful message so the powers that be can get it right.

 

“I wrote, I spoke and nobody is listening; so if people don’t listen, you have to find a way for them to listen,” he declared.

 

Seeraj said the millers are incensed that they had supplied over 285 containers of rice to the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and, after six months had elapsed, the GRDB had given back the rice to millers who had supplied it, claiming that Venezuela was not taking it, so the millers must come and take it back.

 

This, he said, incurred a loss of $400M, and the big question is: What are they going to do with the rice?

 

The temerity of the situation, Seeraj explained, was that the millers have a contract to supply the rice to the GRDB for onward shipment to Venezuela. The rice was taken to the wharf, and then they were told, after six weeks, to come and take back their rice.

 

He argued that it is a breach of contract on the part of the GRDB, since the millers would have satisfied their contractual obligation by delivering the rice. He said it matters not what had subsequently transpired between the GRDB and Venezuela.

 

Seeraj said the industry has lost about $400M on that single arrangement, and one miller has already taken the GRDB to court.

 

And alluding to the Budget Speech of the Minister of Finance, the farmers are saying that Minister Jordan had committed an allocation of $23B specifically to pay 7,000 rice farmers, thereby raising their hopes. But all hopes have now been dashed.

 

“But we did not see any $23B in the Estimates… It’s written in his speech. He spoke of it, and farmers were happy about it and thought it would go to fulfill the promise made to pay them $6,000 and $9,000 for rice; but now it is a different story,” Seeraj lamented.

 

He described the situation as a massive deception on part of the Finance Minister. He also argued that there was a panel discussion with three individuals: Chairman of GRDB, Mr. Housty; General Manager (ag) of the GRDB, Mr Nizam Hassan; and Dr Peter DeGroot, member of the Board of the GRDB.

 

The rice farmers are questioning why the Budget caters for concessions to miners, when rice, the largest foreign exchange earner of the country, is now going through some crisis and no measures are being put in place to bail out rice farmers.

 

Having picketed in Georgetown, the farmers vow to take their demonstrations to their respective regions if their voices are not heard and their demands acceded to.

 

By Shirley Thomas

FM
Originally Posted by Demerara_Guy:

Rice Farmers picketing on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown yesterday [Adrian Narine photo)

Rice Farmers picketing on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown yesterday (Adrian Narine photo)

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Guyanese frustration is building up.

FM

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