On Agriculture Minister’s intervention…
-payout to commence this week
AGRICULTURE Minister Mr Robert Persaud has mandated the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) to meet with farmers to discuss issues pertaining to cultivation, and to ensure that the Mahaicony Rice Mill Limited (MRML) pays farmers for the current crop.

MRML at a recent meeting with the Rice Producers Association (RPA) and the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) assured rice farmers that they will be compensated for their paddy.

The RPA has also been reassured by bankers associated with MRML that resources have been allocated to pay farmers this crop.

According to a release from the Ministry of Agriculture, the proceeds from the sale of some US$3M worth of cargo rice will be utilized to off-set outstanding payments to farmers for the last crop.

Payment, the Ministry says, commences this week and will continue over a five-week period. The RPA is to also continue working with rice farmers to ensure they are compensated for their produce upon delivery to millers.

Farmers last year had difficulty getting their money from MRML, which prompted the Minister to warn that if the company continues to be unscrupulous, then as a last resort the GRDB will have no alternative but to intervene, as is its right under the law.

In its defence, the MRML had explained that because of the global financial crisis, it was experiencing some difficulty in accessing inflows from overseas sales. (Tajeram Mohabir)