Dear Editor,
I write regarding an article published in the Guyana Times (Sept 4) about rice milling in Essequibo and request some space to publicly clarify some issues on behalf of Imam Bacchus and Sons Ltd.
I must state now that Imam Bacchus & Sons 100%, without fail, always signs a purchase agreement with the farmer for a stated price on the day we take delivery. There are no exceptions.
I believe the reporter’s confusion came because I used imprecise language when trying to explain that the price had not stabilized for the season and that we would probably adjust purchase prices as the buying proceeded, based on what other mills were paying. For that I apologize.
Nevertheless, I cannot fathom how the Guyana Times can claim that any farmer told them they delivered rice to this company without receiving a price agreement. It is physically impossible. Every farmer has to receive a delivery slip with the agreed price and a full grading breakdown before the transaction is complete at our receiving station.
Beyond the price issue, I would also like to state two more relevant facts: First, all our scales and grading apparatus are inspected regularly by the various standards bodies and we are always in compliance. Second, we always pay our farmers earlier than any mill in the region for the full price agreed on at the time of delivery.
Yours faithfully,
Imam Baksh
Imam Bacchus & Sons Ltd
