RPA marks 64 years of existence
THE Rice Producers Association (RPA) last week marked 64 years of existence.
During that time, its General Secretary, Mr. Dharamkumar Seeraj, said it has advanced the interest of close to 6,000 rice farmers.
“Our ability to represent the farmers is largely due to the dedicated people we have with us, people who came from farming communities, grassroots people,” he remarked.
Established in 1946, the primary aim of the organisation is to promote the interest of rice producers and Seeraj said its role is to deal with farmers in a holistic way, on farming as well as social and development issues.
“It is an all round effort,” he said, acknowledging that the RPA owes its successes to the committed staff.
He said, too, that the RPA has received valuable support from the current administration, which paved the way for the establishment of the head office and branch offices in different parts of the country.
Seeraj said: “We were also able to improve the extension services.”
Among other development partners, he included Oxfam, Caribbean Policy Development Centre, Caribbean Farmers Network and agriculture societies in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
“We have very good working relations with these institutions, some of which are over 100 years old,” Seeraj said, pointing to the valuable support received from them.
He said several initiatives have been undertaken this year to support rice farmers in Guyana, primary among them being the expansion of drying and storing facilities, seed paddy production and extension services.
Noting that the last is one of its pillars, Seeraj said, through it, RPA has seen many developments.
He also reported: “Over the last decade, we have doubled yield and improved the quality of production.”
Seeraj said the association has been able to move from a system of integrated pest management to integrated crop management. The first uses chemical control to address insects, pests and diseases, whereas the second utilises a more biological approach.

EMPHASIS

“With the integrated crop management system the emphasis is on using the environment, the field itself, to address issues of insects, pests and disease control,” he explained.
Seeraj said extension services are, essentially, expected to build partnerships and provide research based information through non-formal education to farmers, in order to help them improve their economic well-being and way of life.
Specifically, it aims to create conditions whereby farmers have access to appropriate and state of the art technologies and methods for efficient production on a sustainable basis and identify and effectively transfer improved rice varieties and crop management practices that enable the production of high and stable yields.
Seeraj said: “Our approach is aggressive and it is seen in our dedication to the farmers and their interests.”
He added that the RPA is faced with challenges but has a strong support base to continue in spite of them.
On a wider scale, Seeraj said the rice sector can do more but needs the help of international and regional agencies.
“We have capacity in that we have the knowhow in some areas but we need more resources,” he said.
Seeraj said the RPA has come a long way and will continue to protect and promote the interests of Guyana’s rice farmers.
He said activities to mark the milestone will be staged later this month after the current harvest.
“Harvesting is ongoing so everyone is busy and the way RPA works is that we involve the farmers. We meet their needs and work our schedule around theirs,” Seeraj offered.