AGRICULTURE Minister Noel Holder has urged the Rice Producers Association (RPA) to step up to the plate in its representation of rice farmers across the country and stop looking to the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) for handouts.Responding to complaints by long-standing RPA President Leikha Rambrich that the RPA is no longer receiving reimbursements for services offered to rice farmers in the rice belt, Minister Holder said there is no provision for this in the law.
According to a release from the Ministry of Agriculture, Minister Holder said that the RPA should be more vibrant and proactive in its representation of farmers.
“This was in direct response to the RPA president’s reference to the discontinuation of a $2.5 million subsidy paid over to the RPA on a monthly basis under the previous administration,” the release stated.
The Agriculture Minister made the remarks during a recent meeting with rice farmers and other stakeholders of East Berbice at Skeldon, the release stated.
And farmers lamented what they described as poor and in some cases no representation by the legally mandated farmers’ group.
“Minister Holder urged the RPA to engage in a membership drive and a formalisation of its representation – this was after more than half the farmers present at the meeting indicated that they were not members of the organisation, having never filled out any membership forms or paid any fees in this regard,” the release noted.
It was further stated that government is reviewing a 10-point plan submitted by the RPA on the way forward for the rice industry.