GENERAL Secretary of the Rice Producers Association (RPA), Mr. Dharamkumar Seeraj, is urging rice farmers to be on the alert and ready to confront Opposition political elements bent on stirring up strife in the rice sector during this critical time of the country’s history, when general and regional educations are due to be held on May 11.Seeraj said that two APNU+AFC officials have recently been active in the rice growing areas of the country, trying to convince farmers that the rice industry is in crisis.

Acknowledging that the rice industry has its imperfections, Seeraj is nevertheless warning farmers that the two elements –Messrs Jinnah Rahman and Turhane Doerga — are politicians who are seeking the support of rice farmers but do not have their interest at heart.

These persons, Seeraj said, should not be trusted, as they do not have any proven track record that indicates expertise or management capability in the local rice sector. Seeraj is contending that the truth is quite contrary to the image these persons propagate of themselves.

The duo in question recently told media operatives that the rice industry is suffering. They claim, among other things, that 100,000 tonnes of paddy from the last crop are still in rice silos around the country, and there is no market to dispose of this surplus.

“In the next three weeks, more than 400,000 tonnes of paddy will be harvested, and no arrangements have been made to find markets for this new intake,” the bad-news duo had said.

However, Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has said that stocks at the silos have been depleted by a shipment of 40,000 tonnes in January and 35,000 tonnes in February; and this month, some 40,000 tonnes, the remaining amounts of rice and paddy from 2014, would be fully depleted meeting local demands.

Minister Ramsammy has posited that the two bad-news individuals are on “a political gallivant”. He noted that the Government has been working diligently to secure new markets for farmers in light of record-breaking production in recent years.

DOING MORE
Although the rice sector is 100 per cent private sector-driven, the Government, in a bid to help farmers, has been performing a stellar role as facilitator in the industry, and has, in fact, taken the lead in finding news markets for them. Deals have been secured with Venezuela and Panama, and agreements are in process of being finalised with several African nations.

Venezuelan authorities have, a few days ago, confirmed their continuing trade relations with Guyana via an agreement that was inked to facilitate shipments of close to 200,000 tonnes of rice and paddy.

“My team and I have had intensive discussions with our colleagues in Caracas, and have agreed on the terms for shipment of rice to Venezuela; with shipment to coincide with the beginning of the harvesting of the first crop of 2015,” Dr. Ramsammy disclosed to the Guyana Chronicle.

Guyana and Venezuela have had friendly relations for several years, and Venezuela is a major importer of Guyana’s rice, which it has been buying at preferential prices since the signing of an agreement in 2009.

The rice deal was first initiated by former President Bharrat Jagdeo with his then Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez, now deceased, at a United Nations Climate Change meeting in New York at that time.

“We are thrilled that Venezuela continues to be a vital part of our rice industry,” Dr. Ramsammy said.

Government is also close to securing a sizable market on the African continent, as negotiations are currently underway for the supply of more than 70,000 tonnes of rice to add to the other destinations such as Haiti, Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Belize, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.

Last year, rice production was pegged at 635,000 tonnes, with more than 500,000 tonnes being exported to overseas markets.

Rice export last year increased by more than 105,000 tonnes, or more than 25 per cent over 2013 export, although export in 2013 was some 20 per cent higher than the previous year.

“Guyana has increased its export between 1990 and now by more than 1,000 per cent,” the Agriculture Minister said.

Rahman had also alleged that rice farmers in Berbice and on the Essequibo Coast are still owed a huge amount of money from the previous crop; but Minister Ramsammy pointed out that, in 2014, a revolving fund facility of almost $5 billion had been set up to reduce waiting time.

The industry, in 2014, produced paddy worth more than $44 billion, of which more than $43 billion had been paid out to the farmers by millers. According to figures provided by Dr. Ramsammy, an amount of less than one per cent of that sum is presently outstanding to the farmers, and Government has been working to ensure that this is fully paid off before harvesting of the first crop of 2015 begins.

(By Tajeram Mohabir)