Dear Editor,
It appears that the Ministry of Agriculture and Guysuco have different sets of policies and systems for Berbice cane farmers/contractors and another for Demerara cane farmers, especially West Bank Demerara cane farmers .
During President Bharrat Jagdeo’s term in government, it was reported that Berbice cane farmers co-ops and individuals, were promised and or given low interest agri loans and reduced fees for Guysuco’s service for punts rental, machinery, etc. It was also reported that the commercial bank that gave these low interest agri loans to the cane farmers, would not have to pay tax on the interest they earned from these loans. The Demerara farmers are not against these benefits for our fellow Berbice peasant cane farmers, but we the peasant cane farmers in Demerara want the same and equal benefits and services.
The current National Cane Farming Committee- NCFC, chairman and secretary are based in Berbice. So the cane farmers in Demerara are finding it, very difficult to make contact or meet with the officers from the NCFC.
It was reported in the Guyana Chronicle of March 28th, 2015, that the Minister of Agriculture, and Guysuco continue to engage private cane farmers –200 hectares at Blairmont to be outsourced.
The truth is, that Guysuco and the Minister of Agriculture are not engaging sugar cane farmers.
They are leasing out Guysuco sugar cane land to private contractors and giving them long term leases etc while neglecting the current peasant cane farmers, especially the bona fide members of the Belle Vue Cane Farmers Co-op and the other cane farmers’ co-ops that supply cane to Wales Estate.
This Agriculture Minister and the Minister of Labour responsible for co-op societies in Guyana, should and must inform cane farmers and the working people of Guyana, what is preventing them from coming to Wales Estate and to meet with the peasant cane farmers from these co-ops. Wales Estate is on the West Bank of Demerara and has eight sugar cane marketing co-op societies with hundreds of peasant farmers/members, supplying cane to Wales Estate, some since in the 1950s.
These peasant cane farmers co-op societies’ cane are contributing to approximately 40% to 50% of the sugar produce at Wales Estate. They are Free & Easy, Sisters Progressive Co-op, Good Intent Co-op, Belle Vue Cane Farmers Co-op, Stanleytown–La Retraite co-op, Canal # 2 Polder co-op, Canal # 1 Co-op and Nismes-La Grange Co-op.
Cane farmers’ issues to be redressed include:
-Ministry of Agriculture should reform and democratise the National Cane Farming Committee – and the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund Committee -SILWF and do an audit as soon as possible.
Allow the cane farmers and or co-op society, to appoint/elect their farmers’ representatives into the NCFC & SILWF committee, as soon as possible.
-Minister Ramsammy should tell the peasant cane farmers how much money/subvention the Ministry of Agriculture and the NCFC got from the government budget subventions between 1993 to 2014, to assist cane farmers and how they spent it.
-The Minister of Agriculture should and must tell the sugar workers, cane farmers and the Guyanese people how much EU grant money the Guyana Government/ Ministry of Agriculture got, and how much was given to Guysuco, to help modernise and improve productivity in the sugar industry.
-The portion of the EU grant given to the Guyana Government for the sugar industry should be given to cane farmers and the Cane Farmers Co-op, because farmers’ cane is contributing to Guysuco’s sugar production.
-These peasant cane farmers co-ops need assistance to get low interest agri-loans and grants, etc.
-These farmers are not getting payments on time.
-They are not getting enough fertiliser and limestone in a timely manner.
-The farmers want to obtain the new high yield variety cane top, (cane-plant).
-Guysuco/Wales Estate has been increasing the punt fee, land rent fee, etc. on these peasant farmers, while the farmers are getting lower and lower prices for their cane.
-Farmers are not satisfied with the sucrose content (juice quality) that Wales Estate is giving them for their cane, to determine price per tc/ts and the weight of their cane, at the estate scale.
-Re-establish the system to inspect & check the estate scale regularly;
-Re-introduce the cane sample test before harvest, and regular inspection, (visual and juice test) of cane arriving at the factory for grinding.
The Guyana Govern-ment and Guysuco should tell the sugar workers, cane farmers and the people of Guyana, what is preventing them, from involving the sugar workers and cane farmers into the managing and running of Guysuco.
The workers and farmers are the productive force, that can turn around Guysuco and help to make it profitable. Allow them to be part of the decision making process.
The government must engage the sugar workers, their unions and cane farmers and re-introduce the profit sharing scheme in Guysuco. Review the 1975 Justice Crane Arbitration Award, that was introduced by the Burnham Government, known as the profit sharing scheme.
Yours faithfully,
Balkarran -cane farmer
& sugar worker
Former national committee member/
representative of AWU, APA
and Guyana Cane Farmers Association.
