Dear Editor,
If one should asked the rice farmers in most of the rice growing regions of Guyana if they have seen the extension officer within their district for the cropping season their answer would be no.
This has been the case for many years, and if one should ask why this is so one would find that several of the officers who are employed by the GRDB or are under the RPA are engaged in other business ventures and private work, such as farming (both cash crops and rice), operate bus or taxi services, or are engaged in ventures other than being an extension officer.
These extension officers treat their permanent and full-time employment as a part-time job, and the poor farmers would normally be the ones to suffer because they would not be able to receive their services, although they depend on them to spread the message on aspects of rice cultivation.
In my view the service provided by the extension officers is ‘limping’ and the rice industry might once again decline, since farmers need the extension force to work with them and provide advice in a timely manner.
The government and the board of GRDB should carry out their independent investigation and weed out those who fail to provide the services they are paid to do by the government and the rice board.
Yours faithfully,
T Ross
