…Min. Holder says party MP encouraging farmers not to pay rentals

MINISTER of Agriculture Noel Holder has pointed his finger at Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Dharamkumar Seeraj, for encouraging farmers to be delinquent in their payments to the Mahaica-Mahaicony/Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA).

The MMA/ADA which is the public statutory authority responsible for management and maintenance of all agricultural drainage and irrigation services in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) has over the years, incurred a debt of over $972M.
This is a result of farmers and some companies who have failed, over time, to honour their financial commitments to the authority.

Holder made the remarks in the National Assembly on Thursday, while responding to questions posed by Seeraj on the state of farm and market access roads in rice-producing areas.
He explained that since the increase in rentals and fees in the scheme on January 1, 2017 more than 1,342 farmers have been delinquent in the payments of their charges out of a total of 2,346 farmers.

However, Minister Holder put forward data to show that most of the arrears are due to land rental and drainage and irrigation charges which were enforced prior to when the scheme made the increases. He reminded that prior to 2017, there had not been an increase for over 12 years and the authority had then found itself in a position where the cost to maintain drainage and irrigation had outweighed the charges paid by farmers.

“Farmers were duly notified by way of the print media and demand notices were served on each farmer. The MMA/ADA is making all efforts to collect current as well as arrear charges,” Holder established, adding: “However, these efforts were stymied by the very author who is requesting answers to these questions. As a matter of fact, he was on national television in Berbice encouraging farmers not to pay the increased charges.

It can be inferred that this author is partly responsible for the high level of delinquent farmers.”
Answering other questions posed by Seeraj on the amount of subvention being provided by the government to MMA/ADA for capital programmes in the scheme, Holder gave the total as in excess of $361M. This is for the period of 2016-2017 while the capital programmes in question cover civil works; agricultural development and environmental monitoring.

In 2018, the MMA/ADA received $220M to construct a new sluice at D’Edward Village, West Bank Demerara and to conduct surveys and environmental monitoring. The sluice will, however, cost some $500M and it is estimated that at the end of 2018 the MMA/ADA will spend some $337M on the sluice.

The MMA/ADA through a $6M investment is working to repair the farm and market access roads and across the Rice Belt in Region Five.
The authority is also awaiting the approval of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) to carry out other repair works on the all-weather road at a value of $11.9M.

Minister Holder established that the 760-mile infrastructure has seen much deterioration due to heavy rainfall and the traversing of farming machinery over the years. As such, the $6M investment has been made in crusher run, loam and white sand to repair sections of the road while the same, with laterite in the place of crusher run, will be procured for road works to the aforementioned value of $11.9M.

Holder stated that although willing to provide assistance, not much can be done during the rainy seasons and there is therefore only a “short window of fair weather during the autumn crop” for repair works.

“Repairs to dams during the rainy season is well-nigh impossible, this activity can only be effectively addressed during dry periods,” Holder had explained, adding:

“The government has been and continues to provide assistance to farmers in maintenance of farm and market access roads throughout the rice-growing areas. The assistance has been given through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority; the Water Users Association; the Regional Democratic Councils and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils.”

Apart from these, 80 miles of fair-weather roads to enable farmers to harvest their crops and include access in Cotton Tree; Bath; Bush Lot; Lovely Lass; Golden Grove; Brittania; Onverwagt; Tempie; Chester; Union; No. 40 and others.