Dear Editor,
FROM all indications, the rainy season is here with us, and that is of course after a lengthy dry period. It was good that the rice farmers were able to harvest their crop without having to bother about rain, which would have made harvesting difficult and our course more costly.

I can remember not so long ago during the harvesting period, some of the dams were almost impassable to traverse with a full load of paddy, be it a truck or a tractor and trailer.
The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) is doing a reasonably good job by cleaning the trenches, installing checks, kokers and revetments, not forgetting the many pumps that were installed. Maintaining the dams during the rainy season however, would always be a challenge. But with the above having been said, the farmers have a duty to pay the collecting agency appointed by the NDIA the rates for the cultivated area. That agency was the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and the municipality that was prior to 2007 and currently the Water Users Association (WUA).

Early in 2013 in Region Two, that is Pomeroon – Supenaam, a region that is heavily dependent on the rice industry, the amount of money owed to the NDIA was in excess of One Hundred and Fifty Million Dollars ($150,000,000M), and there was no evidence available that a genuine effort was made to collect these arrears from the delinquent farmers, although there was evidence in abundance which suggested that most of the farmers in question could have afforded to pay at least a major part owed by them. It is difficult for any right-thinking person to understand why some farmers for so long though not unable, but unwilling to pay what is due to the NDIA when it is accepted by all that drainage and irrigation is the most important aspect of the production of rice, this very product on which many lives depend, directly and indirectly.

It would certainly make interesting reading, should the NDIA say how much it is owed by farmers in each of our rice-cultivating regions. The former administration must also inform the people of this country what action if any was taken to have the delinquent farmers honour their obligations; the same must be done by this coalition government, which is the bounden duty of any government to ensure that systems are in place to encourage the production of any crop and manufactured items. The farmers and manufacturers have some obligations also.
Regards
Archie W. Cordis