I am happy that President Bharrat Jagdeo will set aside $400 million to assist the rice industry. Therefore, there is need for intelligent and skillful policies to be implemented to utilise this fund.

The Guyana Rice Producer’s Association (RPA) has a rice farmers’ data base of every rice farmers in all the rice growing regions and their acreage. The first survey was done by the late Fazal Ally and all extension officers to register all rice farmers in the country. This survey was funded by the Building Community Capacity Project (BCCP) through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

According to the former Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Reepu Daman Persaud the information obtained from the survey will be a very powerful tool for future disasters, planning and key decision making for the industry. This survey was upgraded by the General Secretary, Mr. Dharamkumar Seeraj and is accurate and can provide the kind of information the President is looking for in order to assist farmers.

It will better prepare the Ministry of Agriculture to execute their task in a more efficient and effective manner for relief. I will suggest to the President that those farmers who had to pump water to save their crops be given more assistance. (1)There should be a fund set aside from the rice levy for future disasters (2) Upgrade the drainage and irrigation systems (3) Inventories of all machines working and those that are out of order in Region 2.
MOHAMED KHAN
Former Extension Officer