Dear Editor,
According to Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud,during a meeting with several rice millers at his boardroom he was convinced of some hanky panky along the way contributing to the high prices.I want to assure the Hon Minister of Agriculture that rice millers will never accept being responsible for the 100 per cent hike in the rice price.
During colonial rule the landlords,moneylenders and unscrupulous rice millers were the dominant and authoritative components of the rice industry.The consumers were consistently caught in an inescapable net of exploitation all the years either with the lowest quality or the highest price for rice.
At present the rice industry can hardly escape the vagaries of the free market economy in which allocation is determined by demand and supply.There is therefore need for intelligent planning and skilful policies to be implemented to facilitate the transition and a restructuring process for the industry.Rice should be one of the most closely monitored products.
During the Guyana Rice Milling and Marketing Authority period the farmers would sell their padi to the mill and the mill would sell rice to the public for consumtion at their local sales departments.With the new centralized system the small millers will mill the rice and sell it to the big millers which in turn would sell to the public at their own fixed price.It is welcome news for the ordinary people that from Monday January 28,2008, the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (N.G.M.C.) and the Guyana Rice Development Board (G.R.D.B.) will open retail outlets to the public.
This arrangements should reach across the entire country because the people in the interior locations are the ones who suffer the most where prices are concerned. The R.P.A. has always been in the vanguard of the struggle for a fair deal for the consumers and they should continue to do so.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan
