OPPOSITION spokesperson on Agriculture, General Secretary of the Guyana Rice Producers Association (GRPA), Dharamkumar Seeraj is calling for a number of recommendations to be implemented, contending that these would assist the more than 120,000 Guyanese who depend on the rice industry, directly and indirectly, for their livelihood.In a list of recommendations that was also copied to Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) listed nine items that in their view would assist the rice industry.

Nine recommendations
Leading the list are: (1) Government resumption of negotiations with the Government of Venezuela with the intention of selling rice and paddy to that country; (2) To immediately remove all form of taxes and duties on fuel for the industry; (3) Removal of all taxes and duties on inputs for the industry, including machinery, equipment and spares. (4) Commence discussions with all the banks lending to the industry to review terms and conditions of loans taken in view of the low prices farmers are getting in order to ‘soften’ repayment conditions; (5) Government to suspend payments of land leases and drainage and irrigation charges. (6) That Government issues a supplementary provision to the Parliament to provide financial support to farmers to aid in the purchase of seed paddy and fertilizers; (7) The GRDB to immediately implement minimum export prices for rice and paddy; (8) Implement an aggressive marketing strategy in order to enhance current prices and secure new lucrative markets; and finally (9) the Government is being asked to withdraw its pronouncement that ‘it’s a private matter’ and give support to the industry ,especially the farmers.
Amid growing pressure on the government to find new markets and to ensure reasonable prices to growers, scores of rice farmers from across Guyana protested while sounding a call for promises made by APNU+AFC to them to be fulfilled.
“Rice farmers were promised double the price obtained for a bag of paddy in the 2015 first crop by agents of the APNU+AFC in the May 2015 election campaign but currently they are receiving between 35% to 60% of the first crop price in this the second crop and this is leading to bankruptcy and despair in the sector,” Seeraj stated in a letter dispatched to the Agriculture Minister.
The GRPA general secretary further noted that there were recent protests by rice farmers across the rice growing regions and twice in Georgetown over this situation and in meetings with the public Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo was asked on numerous occasions to help resolve the problems of the farmers in particular and the industry in general.
“I have been directed by the Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo to communicate to you (Minister Noel Holder) about the PPP/C grave concern over the current situation of the rice industry,” Seeraj declared.
According to Seeraj, the statement made by President David Granger that “rice is not in crisis,” was not accurate, although the president admitted that Guyana has lost the Venezuela market.
“The Venezuela market in terms of a monetary value represents over 70% of export earnings and … in terms of volume… the amount of rice represents about 40% of total export,” Seeraj said, adding that such a loss meant that rice was definitely in crisis.
To add insult to injury, Seeraj said, the government has turned a blind eye to the oldest and largest rice farmers’ organisation in the Caribbean.

NEW RICE MARKETS
Meanwhile, the Guyana Government last Tuesday made some headway in securing commitments by the Mexican government to buy some of this country’s rice.
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo who attended the Open Governance Global Summit in Mexico City met with Mexico’s Agriculture Minister Jose Calzada during which the commitment to rice purchase was made.
However, Venezuela will now be importing rice from Suriname as part of the PetroCaribe agreement. This deal was hammered out following a lightning visit by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to Paramaribo last month. Maduro’s visit was one of several to CARICOM countries against the backdrop of efforts by Caracas to mobilise support for its position in the simmering border controversy with Guyana.