The rice miller responsible for shipping the rejected containers of rice to Panama has accepted blame for the error, Head of the Guyana Rice Exporters and Millers Association (GREMA) Rajendra Persaud said yesterday, while noting that the body is awaiting the return of the containers in order to ascertain the extent of the situation.
Last week, Head of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) Nizam Hassan had confirmed that 20 containers were stopped in Panama and denied access into the country after investigations revealed parboiled rice had been shipped instead of white rice, which the millers are contractually obligated to supply.
Hassan explained that more than a week ago, the GRDB received communication from one of its representatives in Panama about a shipment being flagged. As a result, investigations identified a miller who was then given the directive to stop packaging rice at night. After more shipments were flagged, the miller was then instructed to stop using his facilities and then eventually ordered to stop shipments temporarily until the investigations are completed.