Region Two Chairman, technical officers reject AFC misrepresentation
Georgetown, GINA, September 7, 2011
Source - GINA
Region Two Chairman Ali Baksh today rejected claims made by the Alliance for Change (AFC), that farmers of the Region are beset by a number of problems, including irrigation.
He said that despite having a difficult crop due to the prolonged dry period, the region has already positioned itself to reap 100 percent of production, due to interventions which have significantly assisted farmers.
The region, with assistance from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the Water Users Associations (WUAs), assisted farmers with fuel and pumping water from the Pomeroon River into the Tapakuma Lake conservancy.
“We have done our best from our side to assist farmers of Region Two. I think some of the statements made are ridiculous and uncalled for and I can assure the public that the majority of farmers would also refute such claims despite the few who have aligned themselves with political parties,” he said.
The Regional Chairman while assuring farmers that assistance will be given to transport produce to mills, said that 85 percent of the rice crop is currently at a reaping stage and as such, the dry period has significantly aided the process.
“I don’t know who are giving this false information to say that it is not possible for farmers to transport their produce to the rice mill. With respect to pricing that’s a question for farmers themselves and millers, the region don’t have anything to do with price negotiations and fixing price for paddy,” he said.
Deputy General Manager, Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Madanlall Ramraj while dismissing the claims with respect to pricing, reminded that at the beginning of every rice crop it is a norm for the GRDB to post international market prices, thus allowing farmers to be aware of pricing.
“All information with regards to pricing is there for farmers to see. Take for instance the Venezuelan market; when we had the increase recently of US $800 per tonne for white rice and $400 per tonnes of paddy it was posted, so how can such claims be made?” he questioned.
At the beginning of the rice crop, several meetings were also held with farmers across the country to discuss assistance for reaping. The Ministry of Agriculture also has a system in place through the GRDB and the Rice Producers Association (RPA), which ensures that farmers are given assistance once needed with agricultural machinery and spare parts.
This has seen farmers benefiting tremendously in this regard.
Measures have also been implemented by Government to ensure that rice farmers are not ripped off by delinquent millers and as such, the Rice Factory Act was amended, incorporating measures which would see millers facing the consequences for late payment.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer, NDIA, Lionel Wordsworth while highlighting interventions made by Government, said that huge investments continue to be made in drainage and irrigation, especially in Region Two which have seen approximately $240M being spent alone for this year.
There are currently two excavators working in the Region at Cozier and on the Coast, to completed D&I works including the rehabilitation of several drains, canals and outfall channels.
Wordsworth said that in preparation for the dry spell a meeting was summoned where the region’s operations were reviewed to determine suitable responses. At the meeting a decision was taken for the WUAs to provide assistance during this period.
However, he assured that there is currently adequate supply of irrigation water being supplied to farmers, unlike the ‘picture’ painted by the AFC.
“In relation to the preparation of access dams to transport produce from farm to rice mills, while we do not have the direct responsibility, we do support the region and very shortly financing will be provided for the grading of additional access dams in the Region,” Wordsworth said.
Over $300M in equipment which included bulldozers and excavators were procured and will be used in various parts of the country to assist in emergency D&I works and prepare access dams.
“There are programmes in place to ensure that access dams are adequately prepared to facilitate transport of produce,” he assured.
Two additional pontoons and an excavator procured at a cost of $244M will be placed in the region shortly to dredge outfall channels along the coast.
Over the years, Government has been working tirelessly to employ new technologies and deploy equipment to battle the effects of climate change, which have been significantly affecting the country.
Georgetown, GINA, September 7, 2011
Source - GINA
Region Two Chairman Ali Baksh today rejected claims made by the Alliance for Change (AFC), that farmers of the Region are beset by a number of problems, including irrigation.
He said that despite having a difficult crop due to the prolonged dry period, the region has already positioned itself to reap 100 percent of production, due to interventions which have significantly assisted farmers.
The region, with assistance from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the Water Users Associations (WUAs), assisted farmers with fuel and pumping water from the Pomeroon River into the Tapakuma Lake conservancy.
“We have done our best from our side to assist farmers of Region Two. I think some of the statements made are ridiculous and uncalled for and I can assure the public that the majority of farmers would also refute such claims despite the few who have aligned themselves with political parties,” he said.
The Regional Chairman while assuring farmers that assistance will be given to transport produce to mills, said that 85 percent of the rice crop is currently at a reaping stage and as such, the dry period has significantly aided the process.
“I don’t know who are giving this false information to say that it is not possible for farmers to transport their produce to the rice mill. With respect to pricing that’s a question for farmers themselves and millers, the region don’t have anything to do with price negotiations and fixing price for paddy,” he said.
Deputy General Manager, Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Madanlall Ramraj while dismissing the claims with respect to pricing, reminded that at the beginning of every rice crop it is a norm for the GRDB to post international market prices, thus allowing farmers to be aware of pricing.
“All information with regards to pricing is there for farmers to see. Take for instance the Venezuelan market; when we had the increase recently of US $800 per tonne for white rice and $400 per tonnes of paddy it was posted, so how can such claims be made?” he questioned.
At the beginning of the rice crop, several meetings were also held with farmers across the country to discuss assistance for reaping. The Ministry of Agriculture also has a system in place through the GRDB and the Rice Producers Association (RPA), which ensures that farmers are given assistance once needed with agricultural machinery and spare parts.
This has seen farmers benefiting tremendously in this regard.
Measures have also been implemented by Government to ensure that rice farmers are not ripped off by delinquent millers and as such, the Rice Factory Act was amended, incorporating measures which would see millers facing the consequences for late payment.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer, NDIA, Lionel Wordsworth while highlighting interventions made by Government, said that huge investments continue to be made in drainage and irrigation, especially in Region Two which have seen approximately $240M being spent alone for this year.
There are currently two excavators working in the Region at Cozier and on the Coast, to completed D&I works including the rehabilitation of several drains, canals and outfall channels.
Wordsworth said that in preparation for the dry spell a meeting was summoned where the region’s operations were reviewed to determine suitable responses. At the meeting a decision was taken for the WUAs to provide assistance during this period.
However, he assured that there is currently adequate supply of irrigation water being supplied to farmers, unlike the ‘picture’ painted by the AFC.
“In relation to the preparation of access dams to transport produce from farm to rice mills, while we do not have the direct responsibility, we do support the region and very shortly financing will be provided for the grading of additional access dams in the Region,” Wordsworth said.
Over $300M in equipment which included bulldozers and excavators were procured and will be used in various parts of the country to assist in emergency D&I works and prepare access dams.
“There are programmes in place to ensure that access dams are adequately prepared to facilitate transport of produce,” he assured.
Two additional pontoons and an excavator procured at a cost of $244M will be placed in the region shortly to dredge outfall channels along the coast.
Over the years, Government has been working tirelessly to employ new technologies and deploy equipment to battle the effects of climate change, which have been significantly affecting the country.
The Alliance For Change is seriously concerned at recent problems besetting the rice industry on the Essequibo Coast. It goes without saying that the rice industry on the Essequibo Coast is the lifeblood of the Region 2 economy (with approximately 32,000 acres under rice cultivation) and an afflicted rice industry will have far reaching repercussion in the other sectors as well.
Farmers say that an inadequate supply of water causes the land to dry which is accompanied by the growth of unwanted weeds in the rice field. When it is considered that rice is a crop that is highly dependent on an adequate and timely supply of water, this situation is revealed as grossly untenable. Farmers have said that in years gone by, an efficient system of drainage and irrigation was maintained by rangers who did periodic checks on water levels to ensure that the supply was adequate. Today, whilst there is still the existence of rangers, the efficient system of monitoring has completely broken down. Farmers have said that there were even instances when rangers were implicated in the passing of shoddy drainage work. 
Farmers have said that they are completely at the mercy of the millers when it comes to the pricing of their product. They have said that millers fix prices on supposedly world market trends. However, there is no means of verifying this information. They have posited that the Guyana Rice Development Board must be more involved in this process to ensure that farmers have access to a just and equitable price. Another source of bother for rice farmers in region two is the lengthy period (sometimes up to six months) they sometimes have to wait for payment from the millers. 
