WAKENAAM rice farmers are expected to be paid all outstanding monies owed them by an Essequibo Coast rice-miller by Friday.

This was revealed by the General Manager Acting of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Ms Allison Peters.

She further told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the Board will continue to monitor the situation until the matter is resolved.

According to the DPI, rice farmers on the Essequibo Island were having difficulty receiving payments from millers for their paddy, produced for the crop that ended in April.

The matter came to light some two weeks ago in an article carried by one of the local dailies under the headline, ‘Wakenaam rice farmers’ woes’.

Peters told the DPI that after conducting an investigation into the matter, the GRDB contacted Mr Wazim Hoosein of Jaichand, Essequibo, one of the defaulting rice millers, about fulfilling his obligations.
She said that it was as a result of this intervention that the miller began processing and making payments last Friday.

She said that Hoosein gave the GRDB every assurance that all outstanding monies will be paid over by Friday, July 21.

According to the DPI, the GRBD launched a preliminary investigation into the farmers claims last Thursday, and followed up by sending in a team to investigate the matter at length.