The Guyana Rice Produc-ers’ Association (RPA) yesterday expressed dismay that its nominees were not considered for the rice board and the drainage authority although Minis-ter of Agriculture Noel Holder later said that the government had chosen two RPA members for the former.
According to Holder, RPA members Leekha Rambrich and Ricky Roopchand were chosen for the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB). However, the RPA, which represents rice farmers, said that while Rambrich and Roopchand were members, it had not nominated them as directors on the GRDB.
No RPA member was named to the board of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).
The RPA President Rambrich, in the company of the General Secretary, Dharamkumar Seeraj and Board Member Bejai Lutchminanie, at a press conference held at the Sleep In Hotel yesterday, also accused the APNU+ AFC government of double standards in relation to principles of accountability and transparency, which he said were themes during their election campaign.
The decision, according to Rambrich, to exclude three nominees from the RPA from the GRDB came as a complete shock as the law governing the GRDB, the Guyana Rice Development Board Act of 1994, stipulates that three members should represent the RPA.
In addition, the Drainage and Irrigation Act 2004, at Section 7 (2) (d) states that “two directors (of the NDIA) be nominated by the RPA, Rambrich said.
In a phone conversation with Seeraj, Rambrich said that Minister Holder clearly demonstrated his knowledge of the composition of the Board of Directors of the agencies and the minister made a request for the RPA to submit the names of its nominees for the Board of Directors for both the GRDB and the NDIA.
When contacted by Stabroek News, Holder listed the names of persons nominated for the GRDB and he said Roopchand and Rambrich from the RPA were nominated as Board Members. He however, refused to comment further on the RPA’s contention that its nominees were ignored and ended the conversation.
In a statement issued yesterday afternoon, Holder referred to the two RPA members on the GRDB Board. Holder also pointed to the presence on the GRDB board of a member of the Essequibo Paddy Producers Association, which is a rival of the RPA. Holder contended that the GRDB board was made up of reputable members who can make a meaningful contribution.
In relation to the NDIA, Holder posited that the ministry nominated representatives in keeping with the Act, which he said allows for the board to be comprised of representatives of the water users associations, rice farmers and cane farmers among other groups. It appears that in relation to the NDIA, the government is going on the basis that the RPA can nominate but that there is no compulsion to accept the nominees.
At the press conference, Seeraj argued that although Roopchand is a member of the RPA, he was not put forward by the RPA. Seeraj said that although he is happy about the nomination of Roopchand and Rambrich as members of the GRDB, he is displeased that the names which were submitted by the RPA were ignored. “It is not decent and it is not the way a government should operate,” Seeraj, a former PPP/C MP, stated.
Rambrich, during his address at the press conference yesterday, said that the decision was a deliberate attempt to marginalise and discriminate against the hundreds of rice farmers who are members of the RPA.
He further stated that although the APNU+AFC coalition during their campaign for the recently held elections preached respect for the law, their actions now tell a different story.
He decried the elevation of an AFC activist Naith Ram to director on the Board of Directors of GRDB, saying it was inappropriate considering Ram’s background.
Further, the RPA, according to Rambrich, is concerned about its exclusion from the government-organised Rice Industry Conference that was held on Monday and he said it is another act of discrimination against the RPA.
He also said that millers supplying close to 300 containers of rice to the GRDB for export to Venezuela are now being asked to “take back” their rice. This is as a result of faster shipping of rice to Venezuela than had been originally catered for under the PetroCaribe agreement. In the event of the rice having to be sold to another market, labels would have to be removed, resulting in a further waste of money and time.
Seeraj admitted that the contract with Venezuela is on a temporary halt over the shipping schedule. He could not say when the temporary halt will be suspended. Venezuela has told Guyana that after the 2015 contract is up in Novemb-er, a new one will not be signed.
Seeraj also labelled President David Granger’s address at the recently held conference on issues affecting rice farmers a “talk show” as he contended that nothing at the conference addressed the needs of rice farmers.
“Rice is not in crisis? The president, at least, wasn’t speaking to farmers of Essequibo and Black Bush (Polder),” Seeraj declared as he listed concerns which he said farmers were expecting to be addressed.
“Payments to farmers, rice and paddy sitting at the wharf, how you getting the stocks from the farm to the market, were some of the issues major issues affecting the farmers which were not addressed,” Seeraj added.
