The move by the Ministry of Agriculture to provide an advance totaling $2.5 billion to rice farmers who have not been paid as yet for paddy already sold is a fine gesture and suggests that the Ministry is taking a proactive approach to farmers’ problems. This is indeed laudable.
This year, there was a slight delay in finalising a new agreement and therefore a delay in shipments to Venezuela. As such, millers have been experiencing difficulties in meeting payments to farmers.

In an effort to bring some interim relief to farmers, Dr Leslie Ramsammy successfully negotiated an advance payment, so that they can be given at least part of what is owed to them until the first shipment leaves for neighbouring Venezuela. Government is making available $2.5B in this regard.

“I am advancing this money now, so that all the farmers in Guyana can commence preparation of the new crop…this interim payment was not offered to help millers, it was offered based on request by the larger group of farmers,” the Agriculture Minister said.

On May 3,  Dr Ramsammy and Venezuelan Nutrition and Food Safety Minister, Felix Osorio signed a Letter of Commitment for Guyana to supply 140,000 tonnes of paddy and 70,000 tonnes of white rice.
Dr Ramsammy  correctly observed that there  is no doubt that Guyana’s rice industry has grown significantly over the years, and despite the tremendous success of the last crop, there have been and continues to be a lot of challenges that the players within the industry are faced with.
However, he assured that the government remains committed to working closely with stakeholders to find workable solutions to overcome these challenges and to ensure that the industry as a whole remains viable.
Among the challenges and problems facing farmers are a lack of transparency in the grading of paddy, poor quality of chemicals being supplied to them and paddy bug infestation.
All these issues are vital to both rice farmers and the rice industry on the whole and it is most heartening that the minister has given the assurance that they will all be addressed in a meaningful way to have them resolved.
Foot dragging on nagging problems being faced by farmers will only do harm to the rice industry because such an approach will only serve to de-motivate them and drive them away from rice cultivation as had happened in the distant past under a previous government. During that time, because of neglect of the problems facing them, the number of rice growing families dwindled from 45,000 to 23, 000 and the rice industry was on the verge of collapse. Rice farmers were treated with such callousness and disrespect that on one occasion when they were protesting, police dogs were unleashed on them.
The current hands-on and proactive approach being adopted by Agriculture Minister Dr Ramsammy is indeed the way to go. There is no better approach and what is notable is that the minister listens very carefully to what farmers have to say.
Farmers are vital to this country’s food security and the national economy and therefore they must be accorded the attention and dignity they deserve.
Many people only know about rice when it is served on a plate and are totally unaware of the back breaking work, sacrifices and perseverance that farmers have to endure in its production. Consequently, to treat them with contempt instead of appreciation and understanding is tantamount to committing agricultural suicide.