| …rice farmers in excessive debtBy Tusika MartinRice farmers have to take back the industry in order to save it, Jinnah Rahman of the Rice Producers’ Association (Action group) said yesterday.During a press conference,Adam Joseph Duhe Dolphins Jersey, the group called for the government to intervene in the current rice price being offered by millers since the low rates being paid can lead to the collapse of the industry.Rahman, the spokesperson of the group,NCAA Football Jerseys, said that whilst the ‘action’ component of the group is seeking some change within the body, this does not mean that they are a separate entity from the RPA.At present the current executives of the RPA are not acting in the best interest of rice farmers but instead have political interests, Rahman said.More importantly,Deion Jones Falcons Jersey UK, the group is seeking Government’s intervention in regulating the price of rice and to pass legislation to prevent millers from being unscrupulous.“Chavez told the rice millers over in Venezuela that they cannot horde the paddy and that they cannot sell rice at a price that they fixed; the government set the price…In our case the government should fix a price and if the millers violate that then they should be penalized,” Rahman said.He said that the rice millers cannot have a thriving business without the farmers and vice versa.The failure of the government not to make Guyana Rice Development Board the body to negotiate with the farmers and the millers was a mistake, Rahman noted, pointing out that rice monitoring body (GRDB) does not function since it’s a ‘toothless bull dog.’Rahman said that the situation has deteriorated to a state where the rice farmers are now forced to fend for their own and are prepared to take action to get the right price for their produce.He said that the group will be seeking international help from the very donor institutions from which Government seeks assistance in other sectors.“We are planning a national conference of rice farmers in another two weeks to discuss this issue.”Rahman explained that rice farmers will be seeking avenues to conduct their own negotiation for better prices at the consumer level,NFL Shop Gear, leaving out the ‘supposedly’ monitoring institutions that are not functioning.“Government is screaming about plant more food but we are saying that we can plant more food if the conditions are right to plant more food and the main condition in planting rice is that the price for paddy and rice has to be one that is profitable to be able to plant.”The spokesperson also pointed out that many rice farmers have indebted themselves to reach the demands of the market and as such owe the bank millions of dollars. Speaking at the press conference yesterday, one farmer, Hansraj Persaud, said that he owes the bank at least $60M.“I am heavily indebted to the bank because of the ‘Grow More’ campaign. I tek over $60M and with cost of $1800 and $2000 a bag for paddy I unable to produce rice.“Everyday they telling you to plant more food and we had a meeting with the President and tell we that if rice cannot pay we must go plant swine… How me go pay this mortgage, me ain’t know.’He added that the industry is profitable if the millers are ‘reasonable’ with rice farmers.Last year when the price of rice rose considerably, Minister of Agriculture,J.R. Smith Jersey, Robert Persaud,Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Arsenal Jersey UK, had warned farmers not to fall prey of the temptation of excessive spending.On Monday, the ‘Action Committee’ explained that it is costing farmers at least $100,000 to produce one acre of rice, and rice millers are only offering farmers between $1,800 and $2,500 per bag of paddy. |
