A rice farmer, who has been in the business for the past ten years, is distraught after not being paid for the last few months for paddy he delivered to the Mahaicony Rice Mill as the company has been issuing him ‘bounced’ cheques.
Nandalall Bisnauth of Mahaicony told Stabroek News that he is “hurting” as since April he has not received any monies from the company and he has rent to pay for the land he farms on.
Stabroek News contacted the company and was given a cellular number for a Mr Barton who is said to be the Managing Director of the company. When contact was made with the person and he was asked about Nandalall’s claims he said he “found it very strange” and asked that the farmer make contact with him. But the farmer said when he made contact as requested he was unable to speak with the man.
Nandalall said that he and other family members do farming and sell paddy to the company and among them they were issued twenty cheques but all had ‘bounced’ when they went to cash them at the bank. He said this has been happening since April 6 and whenever he contacted the company he was told that there was no money.
“I can’t understand this, something needs to be done – how this company exporting and ent paying people. I am hurting, my family is hurting and no one is saying anything. I am starving because of this,” the man said on Tuesday.
He said he has been selling paddy to the company for the past six years and while they have been late with payments before, this is the first time he has not been paid for months.
The aggrieved farmer is calling on the relevant authorities to look into the matter as he says he would be forced to stop planting if he is not paid and then he would be on the breadline as that is his only means of survival.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Agriculture issued a statement saying that it has received reports of farmers receiving bounced cheques from the Mahaicony Rice Mills Limited. The statement said that Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud has since asked the Guyana Rice Development Board and the Guyana Police Force to probe all reports of bounced cheques and to take the necessary action.
Following continuing reports of bounced cheques, Persaud had successfully made representation for an amendment to the Rice Factories Act to stem this practice.
