Farmers anticipate prompt payment
A combine in a field at Aberdeen Village, Essequibo Coast
A combine in a field at Aberdeen Village, Essequibo Coast

– as rice harvesting commences in Region Two

By Indrawattie Natram

IN Essequibo rice harvesting is in full swing in communities such as Aberdeen, Queenstown and Colombia, and farmers are anticipating that millers would make prompt payments.
Scores of rice farmers were seen flocking the prominent mills on the Essequibo Coast and from all indications, this crop was a bumper harvest with minimum challenges compared to previous crops.

Millers this time around publicised the prices they are offering on billboards close to their mills.

A board placed in front of the Imam Bacchus and Sons rice mill indicates that the company is paying farmers $2 800 for Extra `A’ Grade and $2700 for grades AB&C rice this crop.
Other prominent mills like Golden Fleece Rice Investment owned by Nazemul Hakh, and those operated by Ramesh Ramlakhan, Roopan Ramotar and Wazeer Hussain, are also accepting farmers’ harvest. Some millers are still deciding on prices due to their available markets.

Many of the farmers who cultivated seed paddy have already harvested and are currently drying the seed paddy in an effort to lessen the moisture content before selling to end users or merchandisers for them to re-plant their fields.
Farmers are anticipating that this crop will bear favourable prices by millers and the grading would be better as opposed to the last crop.

Meanwhile, the Region Two Administration, Drainage and Irrigation Department is ensuring that roads and dams leading to cultivated areas are in good condition.
According to Regional Executive Officer (REO) Rupert Hopkinson, materials for the construction of several roads have already been procured.

Hopkinson said those materials will be put into use to ensure that the farmers have proper farm to market access roads during the harvesting period.

The region under its capital projects will be spending millions of dollars to repair drainage structures at Cozier, Anna Regina, Westbury, Unu, Charity, Riverstown, Perservance, Lima, Dredge Creek, Darthmouth and Cotton Field.

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