THE General Manager of SAJ Rice Group Inc., Mr Carlos Carbo, yesterday refuted claims by rice farmers from Mahaicony, Berbice and other areas that they are being shortchanged in transacting business with the entity, located at Burma, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara.

An article appearing in this newspaper on Wednesday, November 21, dictated that farmers were being robbed of the true worth of their grains after milling and packaging, and were given low grades for their paddy by officials of SAJ Rice Group.
Farmers’ allegations in that article had also indicated that SAJ had been promising to pay for their rice in a month’s time, but they had to wait prolonged periods to receive same.
Carbo, in responding to the article, said he was appalled by the allegations.
He said that SAJ has two modern laboratories where farmers’ products are graded, and grades provided to farmers are only those that would genuinely be supplied by the labs.
He noted that SAJ does not hesitate to pay farmers for their produce, liquidating its liability within a 15- or 42-day period.
Carbo indicated that, to date, the company has already paid more than 92% of the farmers with which it has done business, thus the farmers’ allegations should be dismissed as “false and mischievous”.
He offered to present records to verify his assertions, and explained that farmers are allowed to witness the entire grading and processing of their rice and paddy.
He contends that SAJ pays farmers “exceedingly well” for their produce, and has never previously received from farmers any complaints of dissatisfaction in doing business with SAJ.