As local industry wilts

– Hundreds protest against Govt’s alleged deception

The $23 billion promised by the David Granger-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government to the challenged rice industry is still to be paid, and farmers are at their wits’ end as the situation, for which they were earnestly promised relief, worsens.

Close to 400 rice farmers from across the country flocked the outskirts of the Agriculture Ministry on Thursday, and although they put on a peaceful protest, their cries for help and relief were loud. Farmers travelled from as far as Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and the Upper Corentyne, Berbice Region hoping to send a message to the new Government, that it has a responsibility to keep its promises.

The close to 400 farmers along the Vlissengen Road entrance to the Agriculture Ministry

Finance Minister Winston Jordan, when he presented the country’s largest budget ever on August 10, had declared that Government had set aside some $23 billion for the industry, which was already feeling the brunt of Government’s fallout with neighbouring Venezuela, through the PetroCaribe deal. Farmers had begun pleading with Government to work towards the restoration of that deal, which benefited the more than 7000 rice farmers across the country. The farmers are also claiming the promise made by the Government, during its time on the campaign trail, that it would make available payments of up to $9000 per bag of paddy.

But those promises, according to the farmers, were a mere sham, as Government, up until now, cannot say where the money is, or when it will be paid.

Hurting
A week into the new crop, farmers are hurting, at least that is what they expressed while speaking with this publication before peacefully marching around the Ministry, encircling the Ministry of the Presidency as well. The prices farmers are receiving per paddy vary across the country. According to them, they are now being offered as low as $800 per bag and at the most $1900, in some regions.

“We are not begging for $7000 and $8000, give us what we were receiving last crop, that’s all we want,” a West Coast Demerara farmer identified as Kardial told Guyana Times.

“We need $4000 per bag paddy, because we have these problems with fertilisers and drugs. We presently have things with the bank and those things ; $2000 per bag cannot do anything for us. And if we make this rice industry fall and the sugar industry fall, it means all of us without counting colours or races, all of us will punish in this country,” said Ramchand, a farmer from the West Coast.

He said the last crop farmers in his region were receiving $3000 -$3500 per bag paddy, and even with that amount, there were tremendous difficulties.

Another farmer from Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Narvin Ramdin said “the $1900 and $1800 we receiving cannot compensate us. One plot rice cost about one million dollars and the bank coming and take everything you have.

Now you know long time you know your children would cry, now a papa a cry more than the children. The farmers are frustrated.”
He said if Government could give the farmers at least $3000 that should be able to get them back on their feet.

Another Yakusari, Black Bush Polder farmer, Lionel Soman told Guyana Times that added to the issue of low paddy prices is the non-payment of monies from last crop.

“We have another problem added to this. We sell rice over five months ago and we cannot get our monies as yet. We hear that they have given rice farmers and millers, but I want them to come see that the rice millers pay us our money.”
He said since last month he owes some $2million on his truck and was fearful that it could be taken away.

Representing the farmers from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Ramlagan Singh said Government should seek to renew the Petro Caribe deal, which he said has helped him and the thousands of farmers over the last 10 years.

“We are asking them to go back and renegotiate the deal so that we could get better prices for our paddy. Added to that many of the millers have not paid the farmers in Region Six, and now this coming crop, the farmers are getting now an average between $1500 to $2400 per bag paddy.”

He said this was most ridiculous since the cost of production per bag paddy is $3000 and the farmers were getting $2000. As such, he said Government must intervene to save the rice industry; the main pillar of the economy.

Grim
While many of the farmers shouted in unison for better conditions, others silently held their placards, sending a grim message to Government for it to intervene, or suffer the consequences.

There were talks that the farmers, who may not gather in such a capacity at any one time for now, will carry out their protests in their respective region, an activity they hope to continue until Government listens to their cries.

Rice Producers Association (RPA)  General Secretary Dharmkumar Seeraj said the new Administration has duped the hapless farmers.  He said his enquiries of government’s promised $23 billion have come up empty as neither the Minister of Agriculture or the Minister of Finance who made the announcement could give any information.

Seeraj said the industry under the current Administration was bound to suffer blows as no attempt was being made to arrest the situation, which is leaving the many farmers. He added that while Government has stepped in for an equally important industry – the mining sector, the same attention should be paid to the rice industry.

“Rice over the years has been the largest earner of foreign exchange for this country. It is the best vehicle for rural development…. Rice has been pumping up this economy. Now if you are going to turn a blind eye to your largest earner, then you don’t have the interest of the country at heart, if you are going to concentrate on a few miners and leave out your largest foreign exchange earner, you shooting yourself in the foot,” he said.

He said right now the only way to address this issue was for Government to find the money that was promised to the farmers.