Scores of disgruntled rice farmers who showed up yesterday at a meeting in Region Two with the Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, have called for the immediate reduction in the price of fertilizer and the rehabilitation of several dams along the Essequibo coast.
The Minister of Agriculture along with a team from his ministry, visited the region and conducted three meetings. The first meeting was held at the Guyana Rice Producers Association seed drying facility at Anna Regina.
During the meeting, the farmers were very vocal in letting the officials know that they could not afford the high prices currently being charged for fertilisers by private individuals. They told the minister that the rice industry is already struggling and that the high cost of fertilizer would cripple the industry.
“Minister, we want the price to reduce, we have a lot of loans to pay and with that price, we really cannot afford it,” farmer Shadel Persaud said at the meeting.
Rice farmers also complained that private individuals retailing the fertilizer were also taking advantage of the global situation despite having old stock. The fertilizer price is currently $9,500 which the farmers say is too exorbitant for them.
In addition to the high cost of fertilizer, farmers raised the issues of the high costs of rates and taxes, and leases, and called for the immediate rehabilitation of dams.
Mustapha told the rice farmers at Anna Regina that the current government is working assiduously to reduce the price of fertilizer. He reminded them that the cost of fertilizer has increased globally due to the increasing costs of natural gas. Further, due to the global pandemic, many industries were experiencing challenges and Guyana was no exception.
However he struck an optimistic note as he informed the assembled rice farmers that the government is currently in talks with its partners with the aim of securing a reduction in the prices for fertilizer. He also noted that government has intentions of laying pipelines so that natural gas can be accessed. He informed the farmers that natural gas is one of the main ingredients used in the manufacture of fertilizer.
The minister also remarked that only recently, $30 million was expended to rehabilitate several dams in Region Two. He announced that in the coming weeks more dams will be done through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).
“We need to look at this in a holistic manner and not isolation, the government has implemented several measures to reduce the burden from farmers which include the reduction of land rentals, cash relief grants”, Mustapha said. Government, he assured, will ensure that residents have more disposal income in their pockets to combat with Covid-19 challenges. Added to this, the excise tax on fuel has been reduced by 50 per cent, and this, he reminded, was geared toward improving the lives of all Guyanese. As such, he urged the rice farmers to work along with the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Rice farmers when asked if they were satisfied with the minister’s visit, responded, “To some extent.” They signalled that they were looking forward to the reduction in the cost of fertilizer and the rehabilitation of dams which would enable them to transport their paddy out from the backdams.
