RETIRED Chief Executive Officer of Alesie Rice Group, Dr. Turhane Doerga has said that he and other millers on the Essequibo Coast are looking forward to the speedy establishment of a national rice farmers and rice millers conference as promised by the APNU-AFC Coalition Government.He said that with 300,000 tonnes of rice left over from the spring crop and another 500,000 tonnes expected in the autumn crop, he was afraid that the farmers would find themselves in serious financial difficulties if no urgent action is taken to acquire new markets for their produce.

In an interview with the Chronicle, Dr. Doerga refuted suggestions that the marketing problems facing farmers were due to a glut on the world market.

He said: “Some farmers are saying that it is best that they plant only one crop per year due to recurrent problems of low prices and late payments but this is not necessary.”

He clarified that the demand for rice on the world market exceeds supply.

Last week Doerga asked rhetorically: “So are we in the right business in Guyana with rice? The answer is yes! There is no glut. The problem is that they, the former Administration, had failed to position Guyana’s rice properly.” Dr. Doerga charged that the former Administration had effectively run the industry into the ground.

“Demand is not a problem. What is needed is the efficient management of the industry.”

During the harvesting of the spring crop earlier this year farmers on the Essequibo Coast in particular had staged numerous protests against late payments and low payments for paddy.

The farmers had complained that labour costs were relatively high, and at the same time the expenses involved in purchasing agricultural inputs were a heavy burden when payments were not made on time.

They had said too that they typically hire machinery from private sources, and given the high costs of cultivation and reaping and the modest yield levels, the price of paddy had become an important determinant of profitability.

The APNU+AFC Coalition had said that it intended to hold a rice farmers and rice millers conference within 100 days of its election to office to engage stakeholders in a thorough analysis of the state of the industry and charting of a way forward.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Dr. Doerga said that he and other concerned millers had come up with several recommendations which they will present at the proposed conference or even earlier at a meeting with the new Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder.

These include among others, the formation of a professional committee of world experienced brokers to market rice at acceptable prices, re-establishment of an Agribank so farmers can borrow at affordable interest rates; the establishment of an Intervention Fund so farmers are guaranteed a minimum price before planting.

The Alesi Group will also push for the appointment of professionals to find locations to build rice bulk and container terminals since without proper logistics commodity exchange cannot be done professionally.

Dr. Doerga said that there are also concerns among millers about possible illegalities in the Guyana-Venezuela rice deal and these should be thoroughly investigated by the APNU+AFC Coalition Government.

By Clifford Stanley