Rice farmers in Essequibo are in a state of euphoria after President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali made a public and very vocal commitment to support the rice industry and to ensure its success.

The roar of thousands of persons at Market Square in Anna Regina, Region Two, indicated that his announcement was music to their ears.

“We are not done yet. We will ensure that rice is successful and profitable in Essequibo and everywhere else. You can be assured if a subsidy is needed, you will get it under the PPP/C government.”

The president noted that there is a comprehensive plan for the rice industry. Key to that plan is the creation of a rice stabilisation fund – a much-needed mechanism for rice farmers who are at the mercy of price volatility.

But just what will the rice stabilisation fund achieve? President Ali noted that it is important because it will ensure “farmers can have a predictable price…and that they are not totally at risk of the market.”

It will also ensure that rice farmers are paid whenever rice they deliver, and the current plague of waiting for months and sometimes years to be paid is a thing of the past.

The head of state said the support to rice farmers will be mirrored in the other agricultural sub-sectors because it’s his government’s intention to “increase your income from farming and reduce your cost and make it more modernised so that you can farm with dignity, honour and pride.”

The latest initiative in the rice sector is the launch of the Crop Insurance for rice farmers in Region Two; an insurance that will protect farmers from crop losses.

Benefitting 6,000 farmers, the innovative initiative ensures that rice farmers will pay no premiums for the coverage they will be receiving for the next three years. ( DPI)