A rice farmer claims that popular rice producers, Alesie Rice still have outstanding payments for multiple farmers who had transacted business with the company, despite word being that all rice farmers have been paid in full.According to the farmer, who pleaded for his identity to be confidential because of personal reasons, “Plenty farmers from Windsor Forest, Ruimzeight (and) La Jalousie who sold paddy to Alesie have not received payment for their produce.”

He said he had sold the entity over 100 bags of paddy, worth roughly $1.2M, and has, to date, received only $175,000. He also noted: “They still owe farmers close to $3M, compared to what them owe me.”

The farmer added that he tried contacting one of the senior officials of Alesie Rice, Dr. Turhane Doerga, but staffers either misled him or Dr. Doerga would shy away from the topic.

He stated that this state of affairs has been ongoing since last year, and he called the situation absurd. He declared that the year is going by and he is crying out to the relevant authorities to look into the matter, so that he and the other farmers could receive payment.

But in a brief telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Dr. Doerga stated emphatically that “Alesie Rice does not owe anyone!” He said there is an extensive explanation to why that farmer would say that, but he failed to give that explanation; noting only that he was attending to some personal matters and would get back in contact with the Guyana Chronicle.

Up till publication time, Dr. Doerga had not contacted this publication. (Navendra Seoraj)