Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Wednesday engaged rice farmers and announced several relief measures meant to help them as soon as possible.
Minister Mustapha met with the farmers after concerns were raised with Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo days before.
Wednesday’s meeting, held at the Anna Regina Secondary School auditorium, brought together hundreds of rice farmers in a one-on-one setting to discuss critical issues affecting the ongoing harvest. Concerns include paddy grades and the inability to sell paddy on time, as most mills along the Essequibo Coast are operating at full capacity.
Minister Mustapha assured farmers that all paddy would be sold and announced immediate interventions. He said an additional buyer would come to the region to assist with over 75,000 bags of paddy, easing pressure on the mills that have been unable to purchase the crop on time this season.
The Minister acknowledged that many traditional buyers did not purchase paddy this season, creating a bottleneck that left several farmers at risk of losing their produce.
Farmers and other stakeholders at the meeting
Furthermore, farmers who suffered losses due to rejected paddy were promised immediate follow-up meetings to determine individualised support.
Minister Mustapha also said a drying facility would be constructed in the region. This is expected to reduce post-harvest losses and delays.
Additionally, he announced that one bag of fertiliser will be provided for every acre of cultivated rice land. This measure was recently announced by President Dr. Irfaan Ali.
Free bag of fertiliser for every farmer with govt’s $2 billlion injection
Mustapha also noted that the government will waive ferry transportation costs for paddy vessels during the rice season, moves expected to significantly reduce overhead expenses.
“These are not just promises, we are acting now to bring relief,” the Agriculture Minister told the farmers.
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