AGRICULTURE Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Mr. Jagnarine Singh will meet farmers and millers from Region 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam) at the ministry’s Regent Road, Georgetown boardroom, on Monday.

The meeting was scheduled as rice farmers from that region continue to protest the low prices they are being paid by millers for their paddy, which has been affected by bugs.
In a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday, Singh said they recognise the problem and are trying to work with the planters to arrive at a way forward.
Meanwhile, he said a technical team, comprising personnel including a scientist from the research station and representatives from the Agriculture Ministry’s Pesticide and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB), have been deployed to the region to assess the situation and make recommendations.
According to him, the damage done by paddy bugs is much greater than expected and it seems that an illegal pesticide, not effective to keep the pests away, was used by the planters.
Singh also lamented the need to acknowledge that there is a real difficult situation at hand and that persons should refrain from politicising the issue.
Meanwhile, in a recent interview with this newspaper, Dr Ramsammy said while the ministry cannot pay the farmers for their rice, it can help them prepare for the next crop, in the form of seed paddy and fertilisers.
He pointed out that some 2,300 farmers cultivated land in the first crop of 2013 and that between 60 to 75 percent of them have been affected.

HEAVY DAMAGE
The minister explained that those farmers, particularly in Region 2, have suffered heavy damage from the paddy bugs and, therefore, some of the rice produced will be broken.
“So these farmers are not going to be able to sell their rice on the premium market and, therefore, the millers who buy their rice won’t pay that price because they are not going to be able to sell it at the full price,” he stated.
Further, Ramsammy said, while most of the mills would not even take the paddy, some of them have offered very low prices, such as $1,000 per bag.
However, he said only the farmers who have been affected will benefit from the ministry’s help for the next crop and that would be verified with the records of the rice mills.
“I wish to say to all of them to come and talk to us, so that we can decide how much help we can give, rather than making it a political issue. Certainly it is not a political problem and that’s what’s happening right now, that some representatives from certain political parties are trying to make it such that it’s a political thing and it is not a political thing,” he asserted.
The minister admitted that there is a real difficulty and, whilst the ministry cannot pay for the rice, it is not its duty to do so. Nevertheless, he said it is still the mandate of the ministry to help farmers and that is what is being done.
Although the situation is localised in Essequibo, Ramsammy noted it is not an Essequibo initiative and, therefore, if farmers in other regions have that problem, they will also qualify for the ministry’s assistance.

ANOTHER ISSUE
Dr. Ramsammy pointed out that there is another issue regarding the price of paddy. He said some millers are prepared to make only an interim offer, with a ceiling of approximately $3,000 per bag, pending the signing of the 2013 contract with Venezuela, which is Guyana’s largest rice importer.
He said they were getting approximately $4,000 per bag for their paddy last crop but now they are being given as low as $3,000.
The Agriculture Minister insisted, though, that this is not the final price and when the shipments to Venezuela resume, there will be an adjustment to an arrangement with which most farmers would be satisfied.
Ramsammy disclosed that he had previously invited all the millers to meet with him and an agreement was reached for them to pay on the basis of an interim price, for now.
But the signing of a contract has been delayed due to Venezuela’s recent national elections and he assured that it will be signed once the new Venezuelan Cabinet has been sworn in.