ONE of the main sources farmers expect to get high quality seed paddy from at the head of the rice production seed chain is the GRDB Burma Rice Research Station.

But this might not be the case, since many farmers are concerned and complain about the quality of the seed paddy purchased from the GRBD Burma Rice Research Station over the past couple of seasons.
There has been a great decline in the quality produced and sold. It is alleged by thousands of farmers that seed paddy sold to them by the GRDB Burma Rice Research Station have a high percentage of ‘red rice’ and ‘off-types’, contamination with other weed seeds such as ‘monkey tail’.
In some cases, it also has a high percentage of paddy bug damage grains, shelled grains etc. In more serious situations in some cases, the seeds have very low germination capacity, which results in poor growth and establishment under field conditions.
This is a very serious problem, and many farmers can attest to the fact that they have been victims of this dreadful act; that after they purchase the paddy and sow it in their rice field, only to see an abundance of ‘red rice’ and off-types showing up in their fields.
It is also alleged that many seed growers and farmers who purchase paddy from the Burma Rice Research Station received paddy that was far below the seed quality standard, and paid a very high price for those paddy, while many would not know this because they were ‘duped’ into believing that this is some so-called ‘C3 seed class of paddy’ which, in actual sense, may be lower that ‘C grade’ of commercial grains normally sold to the mill.
I was reliable informed that the head Dr. Mahendra Persaud and team of the Burma Rice Research Station know about these poor-quality seeds that do not meet the seed standard, but yet try to keep it a secret from the Board, and push for the sale of this paddy to the farmers at the premium prices.
It is my view that these paddy that do not make the seed quality standard should not have been sold to farmers and sent to the mill as commercial grains.
Looking retrospectively at the situation in the rice industry, one can safely conclude that these poor quality seeds sold farmers is one of the main contributing factors for the high increase in the ‘red rice’ and other serious weeds in the rice industry in Guyana.
The Government and the Rice Board should investigate this development, and have an independent body certify the seeds before they are sold to farmers.
T. ROSS