APNU/AFC allies say Govt betrayed Rice Farmers 

Missing $23B Budget “allocation”  for rice sector…

– shocked at silence of Agri Minister

Following Finance Minister Winston Jordan’s admission that the $23 billion was never intended for rice farmers, the Rice Producers Association (RPA) Action Committee comprising Dr Turhane Doerga and Jinnah Rahman , who had staunchly supported the APNU/AFC coalition during the campaign, have responded saying that government’s position is “disappointing”, “devastating” and “confusing”.

Dr Turhane Doerga (left) and Chairman of the Rice Producers’ Action Committee (RPAC) Jinnah Rahman

Following immense pressure from society and the massive protest staged by over 400 rice farmers from across the country for the release of the $23 billion, Jordan finally, in an invited comment to the Guyana Times, said the money does not belong to the rice farmers though during his Budget presentation, even though he had given the impression that the funds would go directly to the struggling farmers.

However, after being silent for so long- allowing the rice farmers to believe that they would finally be relieved, Jordan’s revelation that the money had done towards “shipping rice to Venezuela” has taken by many surprise- including the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change aligned RPA Action Committee.

In an invited comment, Dr Doerga said he is extremely disappointed and devastated to hear about these developments and that it appears that not even Government cares about the future of the rice farmer and the rice industry.

“Apparently it appears that nobody cares what’s going to happen with the rice farmers,” he said.

He alluded to the fact that never in the history of Guyana did such a large number of rice farmers travel all the way to Georgetown to stage a protest; concluding that the situation is clearly in a dreaded state for these farmers to go to this extreme for their voices and struggles to be heard.

“Indian people, their culture is a little bit different, they are ashamed to say that they don’t have money, they are ashamed to say that they owe the bank, they are ashamed to say they already got letters threatening to auction their property. We’re not very vocal people going out there… The amount of rice farmers that came down to protest, never in the history of Guyana was this done in Georgetown…What does that tell you? Never in the history of the rice industry you had so much rice farmers protesting in Georgetown, it tells you the level of misery at this moment,” Dr Doerga reasoned.

He added that it is extremely worrying that even amid everything that is happening, the Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder- who is mandated to be responsible for the rice farmers has remained silent through it all.

“You know what shocks me, is the silence of the Minister of Agriculture and therefore the AFC. It shocks me, I am completely lost. The mere fact that so many people came down tells you how bad it is… What is going to happen to the rice industry?” he pondered.

Similarly, Rahman told this publication that the situation is rather confusing yet not a word is being uttered by the persons in charge.

“They are not explaining things even though they have access the state media and the communication system…They are not explaining to the people…People have questions,” he stated.

Further, he disclosed that he is not even sure where government will be sourcing the $23 billion- which it now claims will be used for “rice shipment”.

“I don’t know where they got this 23B…If they discussed with the farmers or if they consulted anybody like me. We don’t know anything that is going on,” Rahman related.

On Friday, the Finance Minister told this newspaper that his announcement of providing $23 billion to the rice industry is not to pay farmers, but to assist in the shipment of rice to Venezuela. He still did not address the contention that the sum was not “real” nor exactly to which entities the $23B was paid. The sum would represent payment for an entire year’s shipment of 200,000 tonnes of rice to Venezuela.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had made the shocking disclosure when he rose to debate the Budget, revealing in the process that the $23 billion announced by Jordan was not real or liquid money but just a paper transaction by the Government.

In addition to demanding the release of the $23 billion, the rice farmers who had gathered in front the Agriculture Ministry and the Ministry of the Presidency, also demanded that Government honour its promise of paying $9000 per bag of paddy.

Solution
Meanwhile, in hoping to address the issue, Dr Doerga said for his part, there needs to be a more professional Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) to look at solutions that need to be acted upon to help the rice industry in its current time of crisis. Moreover, he called for both the government and the opposition to not let their differences cloud their judgment of the real issue and instead of engaging in a back and forth war of words, they should work together to help the rice farmers and save the rice industry.

For Rahman’s part, he said will immediately make contact with the Minister of Finance to get clarity on the issue.