…costs increase as dry spell continues

THE cost of production continues to rise as farmers are laden with a host of unforeseen expenses due to the perpetual dry spell, which has led to much “above normal” investments into the maintenance of their rice crops and livestock.

Farmers of Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice), yesterday stressed the fact that they had incurred additional expenses due to the inconsistency of rainfall over the two past months, which had led to the boost in labour cost and a host of other costs.
Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle yesterday, rice farmer Besham Oodit underlined that over the past two months he had incurred a number of additional expenses in getting his crop up and ready for harvesting season.
“We normally have to pump water once every four days, now it is twice a day, causing us to use up a lot of gas by travelling day by day to the fields. Apart from that, in order for us to sustain our crops, we had to hire additional labourers. When on a regular you [basis] would only require one, it is now up to three and even four,” said Oodit.

This combined with the cost per bag of paddy being $2,200, and the regular cost of production being at least $2,300, he said, is daunting their hopes of accumulating even the slightest bit of profits.
Apart from that, another rice farmer Ram John disclosed that he was, “milking the last drop of milk from the cow,” meaning that he is taking what little he has to sustain his family, as well as maintain his rice crop.
John lamented that himself along with a number of other farmers are awaiting payments from one of the popular millers from the area. A figure of just over $4 Million is allegedly owed him.

The payment of rice farmers has been a perennial issue over the past few years; as such, he said that many attempts to seek assistance from officials have proved futile.
Consequently, the industry he said, is struggling at the moment and urgent help from the government is needed in order to get them back on their feet.

AERIAL SPRINKLE
With the expenses rising, another factor which hinders rice farmers is the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned aerial sprinkling, causing them to now apply pesticides and insecticides on foot or by tractor.
This process, farmer Richard Hookumchand said is impeding the timeliness of their preparations, while also causing them to incur more expenses for labour and gas.
In contrast with the fact that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) was using planes to apply pesticides to their crops, the rice farmers, Hookumchand lamented, are faced with the burden of doing their bit on foot.
Thus, the farmers are calling on the relevant authorities to review this decision, given that the sugarcane fields are closer to housing than the rice fields, which he said are mostly five to six miles away from houses.