The minister and a technical team yesterday met farmers in Mahaicony and Mahaica to discuss irrigation and other matters relating to the El Niño weather phenomenon as well as issues affecting the rice industry.
Persaud, while meeting farmers in Karamat, Mahaicony, said that the goal of the ministry, through the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary (MMA) scheme, is to ensure it is in a position to supply water to the farmers “as much as possible.” According to the minister, the steady supply of water could be achieved but he emphasised that if it were to become a reality the farmers need to be disciplined.
The minister noted that it would be difficult to tell farmers to stop cultivating rice since it is their livelihood. He therefore urged them to adhere to the instructions of the MMA, which is working out a schedule regarding the pumping of water. The minister said the farmers need to adhere to the advisories issued by the MMA regarding the use of water.
Some of the farmers, however, raised concerns that they were not being supplied with regular information by the MMA and consequently were not aware of the actions of the body. Chairman of the MMA board, Rudolph Gajraj, who was present at yesterday’s meeting, told the farmers that such information was available in the media. He also said that the MMA has officials in the area and that the body’s office could be easily contacted.
In response to the complaints, Persaud suggested that the farmers set up a monitoring unit, which would liaise daily with the MMA. At the meetings, three farmers volunteered to serve in this capacity.
The farmers also made suggestions about improving irrigation, proposing the dredging of some of the canals. Persaud said that is an option that would be examined and he promised to release an excavator to serve in this capacity if it is determined to be the best solution. The minister, however, stressed that wisdom had to be applied since the weather patterns could easily change within a week.
The existing El Niño patterns are projected to continue into next year.
Meanwhile, at the forum, the rice farmers raised concerns about the failure of the millers to pay them for their paddy in a timely manner. A few farmers complained about being given the “royal runaround” by these millers, who would call them to collect their money but not be there when the farmers turned up. Persaud criticized these actions and urged the farmers to report the defaulting millers to the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) or the Rice Producers Association (RPA). According to him, once a formal complaint has been made there are avenues which can be pursued, including legal action, which, he said, farmers would not have to pay for.
Some of the farmers also queried whether the new Venezuelan market for rice would result in better prices for their paddy.
(Last week, under a landmark US$18.8 million deal with the Venezuelans, Guyana loaded the first consignment of paddy for that country. This shipment was expected to arrive in Venezuela early this week.)
In response, Persaud said that the ministry is currently conducting a study to determine the millers from which the paddy was sourced and what price the farmers were paid for the paddy.
Persaud noted that at a previous meeting some of the millers had promised to pay the farmers an additional price for their paddy and this was something that would have to be investigated.
