President pledges Government’s
commitment to protecting rice farmers.
President Bharrat Jagdeo last Friday called for
renewed commitment to the protection of rice farmers. Speaking
at the commissioning ceremony of a new state-of-the-art parboiling
plant at Alesie’s Ruimzeigth mill, the Guyanese Head of
State called for facilities to provide credit for farmers because
of their input in the industry. He promised farmers and millers
alike, Government’s commitment to working in partnership
to ensure the development of the rice industry. He called on millers
to ensure that farmers get a fair share of what is due to them.
He said it is important for Government to ensure that rice farmers
are protected.
"As we move forward", the President said, "we should
look at the industry in an integrated way". The improvement
on the quality of the product is important. But the industry has
many stages. Drainage and irrigation and the increase in value
for money are three of those stages.
However, one of the most significant stages of the industry is
the actual planting of rice, and integral to this is the farmers
themselves. The President called for the proper and timely payment
for farmers by millers. He said new financial facilities for the
payment of farmers should be pursued so that farmers might be
more familiar with those facilities.
He added that new methods of financing are essential for any modern
agri-business industry. The President said insurance, reinsurance
and discounting facilities are very important. The President called
on the millers’ representatives and the Rice Producers’
Association (RPA) and representatives of farmers, to sit and discuss
the intricacies of the industry with farmers in an education process.
He urged millers to ensure that farmers get a fair share of what
is due to them. He said it is important for Government to ensure
that rice farmers are protected.
President Jagdeo noted that the RPA has provided tremendous support
to farmers but in many cases, because of the lack of means, many
farmers are still exploited. General Secretary of the RPA, Dharamkumar
Seeraj told the gathering that the RPA always welcome investments
in the industry that is intended to increase profit margins and
result in a more equitable distribution of wealth so that farmers
can enjoy a better life.
Seeraj called for better and more timely payments to farmers and
for an increase in the farmers’ share in profits. Over the
years farmers, after having sold paddy to millers were made to
wait long periods of time for payments. In many cases, millers
made payments via cheques, but farmers were made to take loans
to cash those cheques. President Jagdeo called for a halt to this
practice by millers and for a greater share of profits for farmers.
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Monday,
September 15, 2003