| Having lost almost six acres of cultivated rice, Mohamed Jameal Sattaur, is worriedThe rice farmers in protest mode.about the future of his livelihood. The resident of Anna Regina New Housing Scheme, Region Two, has been in the rice business for close to four years, an undertaking that has seen him planting on a rented plot of land.Sattaur’s plot of land is situated aback of Bush Lot and, according to him; this is the first major loss he has suffered since he began planting. He explained that every crop he plants, he has to pay $200,000 for rental. He is dreading the fact that he will have to pay up, despite the fact that he hasn’t been able to earn as a result of the damage to his rice field.Another rice farmer is closely monitoring his submerged crop. He nevertheless is contemplating what to do or how much he can do to save his crop.In fact, several other Region Two farmers are facing the identical plight and they too are constantly making checks on their inundated rice fields. Most of the rice lands have been damaged due to the recent flooding, resulting from poor drainage.All this comes at a time when Essequibo rice farmers are continuing to decry late paddy payments by millers and the price that they are paid per bag of paddy. They are also calling for a thorough revision of the Rice Factories Act.Members of the Essequibo Paddy Farmers’ Association held another protest yesterday morning at the Anna Regina ‘High Bridge’. Alliance for Change Region Two Councillor, Naith Ram,Wholesale Stitched NFL Jerseys, who supported the protest action,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, encouraged the farmers to “continue the fight”. He opined that members of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and those of the Guyana Rice Producers’ Association (GRPA) have not been showing any respect or regard for the issues that continue to affect rice farmers,Adidas AlphaBounce Pas Cher France, crop after crop.In fact, according to him, “rice is at the crossroads; it’s do or die now…who nah dead is badly wounded.”Ram continued by stating his disappointment with the action of a senior member of the GRDB, who he claimed had promised to engage him whenever he visited the Region.He called on his colleagues to remain vigilant as he reminded them that “they represent all of the farmers in the Region.”Meanwhile, Region Two Chairman,Jerseys From China, Parmanand Persaud, in an interview with this publication, said he is concerned about the future of the rice in the Region. According to him, he visited the area and observed the severity of the rice situation, especially in the front lands.Persaud added that the fields are soft, which is hampering harvesting. This,Cheap Jerseys China, he said, is due to inclement weather. However, he said,Wholesale Adidas Shoes China, that he has currently mobilized the availability of pumps and fuel in an effort to lessen water from the flooded fields. He is hopeful that all outstanding payments would be paid to farmers who are owed millions of dollars from the previous crop.This publication understands that an agreement between Guyana and Venezuela is yet to be signed. However, senior members of the GRDB are scheduled to travel to the Spanish-speaking country today and would engage in discussions to broker an agreement. While Venezuela purchases 25 percent of the rice produced in Guyana annually, officials aligned to the GRDB and GRPA have argued that some of the major issues faced by rice farmers include the uncertainty of the price of paddy and proper marketing strategy. This is seen as a major challenge,Authentic Carolina Panthers Jersey, since rice is the major economic activity on the Essequibo Coast. |
