Dear Editor,
With reference to an article in Monday’s Stabroek News, captioned, ‘Some farmers leaving crops to rot because of low price’ (September 6), it was said that the ochro price is $5 a pound in Black Bush Polder. This not correct; the price of ochroes is between $45-$50 a pound in Black Bush Polder. The GMC has been telling us to grow for the market and that is what we have been doing. Cassava production was high because of El Nino, which was favourable for it.
Since the Ministry of Agriculture launched the ‘Grow more food’ campaign in 2008, it has been encouraging us to plant for the market. Many of us have adjusted the way we used to plant, and we now get information from GMC on market demands and price trends and then plant. GMC has a system with Digicel, where we get the latest market price for commodities. This has helped us to plan our production.
Many farmers have benefited from various kinds of support from this campaign: seeds, chemicals, fertilizers, and tools – all of which were given free to us. We are also able to access technical training on good agricultural practices so as to develop our skills in growing more crops for the market.
Your article states that no early take-off in exporting is seen. This is not so since many exporters are calling us and coming to our farms to purchase crops for export. What we need is more of our farmers to join us and pay attention to the standards that are needed for export.
We have never had any problem contacting the GMC. We know some of the officers personally and call them at any time, even at nights and weekends. They respond to us.
Lastly Editor, we seem to forget that the ‘Grow more Food’ campaign helped us produce vegetables during the fuel crisis. There was no shortage of food or high prices. We fed the nation.
Yours faithfully,
Chetram Ramdass
Editor’s note
The report refers to August of this year. We quote Narinee Mangra at a roadside stall as saying, “Right now ochro ah $5 a pound and it nah pay foh pick.” The story goes on to say that other farmers say the same thing.
