Funding for the drying floors comes from the $400M pledged by President Bharrat Jadgeo last year to aid the rice industry. Farmers, a Government Information Agency (GINA) release said last Friday, agreed to the project which will see 12 drying facilities constructed in regions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
The drying floors aim to enhance the capacity of farmers to preserve their produce after harvest. When all are completed it is projected that they will enable the production of 6000 to 7000 bags of rice daily. Currently, nine drying floors are being constructed throughout the rice growing regions. These are at various stages of advancement, the GINA release said. GRPA General Secretary Dharamkumar Seeraj commissioned the first completed drying floor at Crane, West Coast Demerara last Friday. The drying floor, Seeraj said, can accommodate more than 300 bags of paddy and is already housing 90 bags daily.
Farmers are now able to store paddy for more than 72 hours before processing thus reducing the possibility of spoilage. This new initiative is expected to strengthen the bargaining power of farmers as it relates to prices.
Construction of these drying facilities, Seeraj said, is on schedule since the current weather pattern is suitable for such activities. He further disclosed that more than 600 acres of rice in Region Three are under threat from the El Nino phenomenon but reminded farmers about the many interventions currently being made by government.
Personnel from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the Water Users Association (WUA), Seeraj noted, must be vigilant in channelling the water supply to avoid wastage. Works he added have commenced on the main distributaries from Leonora to Vreed-en-Hoop to clear the canals and embankment.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud and Regional Chairman Julius Faerber were also present at the commissioning of the first drying floor.
Faerber reported that the region has been monitoring the situation to ensure that every farmer gets an equal share of water.
