MINISTER of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has stressed that the Agriculture Ministry will not be flexible with anyone when it comes to the importation and use of banned and restricted chemicals.

The minister was at the time addressing a gathering at a graduation ceremony for Pest Control Operators at the ministry’s Regent Road boardroom on Friday.
He said that the Stockholm Convention, of which Guyana is a signatory, will be implemented without flexibility.
“I’m a flexible guy, I try to listen to people and make concessions. Whilst that is true, there are certain things that I am not flexible with…if it is a banned product in Guyana, it will remain banned, I will not be flexible. If it is a restricted product and must be used in accordance with certain regulations, it must be done that way,” he asserted.
Dr Ramsammy pointed out that while the rice industry has had an extremely successful crop, it did not achieve its full potential because the crops of some farmers were affected by paddy bugs due to the incorrect use of chemicals.
“The rice industry has had a successful crop, with just over 90 percent harvesting the rice industry has produced 246,000 tonnes of rice…that is by far the largest ever single crop in our history, but it could have been even more than that,” he said.
The minister related that part of the issue was that some farmers used chemicals that were not registered and entered Guyana by illegal means.
He also said that while some had utilised chemicals which came in through the proper channels, by the time they reached the farmers they were tampered with, and hence were not as effective as they ought to be.
According to Ramsammy, it is the work of the Pesticide and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) to monitor these situations.
He further mandated the board to be more proactive in making the public more aware of the list of approved chemicals in Guyana.
“We have to do more for citizens to know more about it, and publishing it in the gazette and the newspapers is not enough,” he remarked.
He therefore requested that the list be placed, not only on the Ministry’s website, but in public places such as Regional Democratic Council (RDC) offices, Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) offices, and post offices, as well.
In addition, he noted that persons who sell chemicals are obligated by law to possess a certificate to show that they are approved to sell these chemicals, and that this must be demanded from such persons.
However, the minister said, at the same time, they do not want to make it too difficult for people. He pointed out that in Guyana someone might purchase chemicals from an approved vendor and then resell.
Nevertheless, he stressed that traceability measures should be put in place, so that should farmers complain, the source of the issue can be traced.
Ramsammy further emphasised that as a country, Guyana has to continue to monitor the chemicals to ensure that banned chemicals are not allowed in the country under any circumstance, noting that there are affordable alternative chemicals that can do as good a job.
In addition, he highlighted that it is important for persons to be educated on these chemicals and their use. He added that the initiatives of the Agriculture Ministry, through its agencies, are not to make life difficult for people, but rather to ensure that life is safer for people.