Rice industry in parlous state

…Rice producers left in limbo

The rice industry in Guyana, which was deemed the driving force in agriculture, is now in a state of peril as rice farmers

RPA General Secretary Dharmakumar Seeraj

and millers throughout the country are uncertain as to their futures as a result of Government’s actions.
Over four weeks ago, rice millers had shipped 6000 tonnes of rice to Panama through the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and are yet to be paid for this shipment.
This is according to Turhane Doerga of the Rice Producers Association Action Committee, who told Guyana Times on Monday evening that rice farmers are unhappy about the details of the abovementioned transaction.
“The rice millers need to be paid so that they can also pay the rice farmers. Until now we have not even received a letter of credit which is documented proof for the rice millers for them to receive monies for their supplies. In fact, we wrote a letter to them asking about various payments and how we will get our monies including how the recently announced $23 billion for the rice industry will be disbursed,” Doerga stated.
As it relates to the $23 billion for the rice industry that was announced by Finance Minister Winston Jordan in his budget presentation on August 10, the public is still confused about this declaration and speculation has already arisen as to where this money will come from and when it will be given to the rice industry.
Guyana Times was further told by Doerga that there was no consultation between the rice association(s) and Government as to ‘when, how and where’ the funding would be made available to those promised. In

Turhane Doerga of the Rice Producers Association Action Committee

fact, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration through the Agriculture Ministry has failed to reply to the letter(s) sent questioning the abovementioned issues.