– but farmers complain about payment

HARVESTING of the first rice crop is 99 per cent completed, with the exception of small acreages in Region 3 (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), Region 5 (Mahaica/ Berbice) and Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne).

General Secretary of the Guyana Rice Producers’ Association (RPA), Mr. Dharamkumar Seeraj told the Guyana Chronicle Monday that to date, recorded production stands at 7.5 million bags of paddy, with the average production per hectare being five tonnes. And the current crop’s production target is some 260,000 tonnes.

TIMELY PAYMENT
However, according to Seeraj, the major challenge with the winding down of this year’s first crop is the timely payment to farmers, a recurring challenge with each crop.
He said: “The prices (obtained at) the regular mills range from $3,000 to $3,500, with those farmers who produce the extra A-grade rice getting the higher prices. We have a problem with farmers being paid because the shipment of rice is being exported.”
The RPA head noted that farmers from Region 3, Region 4 (Demerara/ Mahaica), Region 5 and Region 6 are still to be paid in full.
He said that the RPA has been meeting with farmers, with sessions already held with farmers in Regions 2 and 5 in order to reach a mutual decision.
“Today (Monday) we met with the banks and the millers to look at some sort of support for the farmers,” Seeraj said.

LAND PREPARATION
He added that land preparation for the second crop has already commenced and the problem with timely payments is affecting the full-scale undertaking of these works.
“Farmers from Regions 2, 3 and 4 have already started sowing,” Seeraj said, adding that there have been a few delays due to the heavy rainfall in the five rice producing regions in Guyana.
Meanwhile, when asked about the Venezuela agreement, Seeraj said Guyana’s market in the neighbouring country (Venezuela) has been “moving smoothly as per shipment and allocation” specified in the agreement.
The 2014 rice deal with Venezuela stipulates a shipment of 150,000 tonnes of paddy and 50,000 tonnes of rice, a total of 200,000 tonnes. Last year, Venezuela took more rice than paddy, with a shipment of 80,000 tonnes of paddy and 120,000 tonnes of rice.
The rice industry contributed about five percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2013 and accounted for more than US$240M in export earnings. Some $500M was allocated to the rice sector in the 2014 Budget.