Dear Editor,
Rice has taken centre stage in our country. But there is a great problem in this important sector: The Burma Rice Research Station has been a fabulously lame duck for the longest while. There have also been lots of jump starts and financial infusions into this particular institution, however, it has been overwhelmed by failure. At this very juncture the Burma Rice Research Station is unable to supply most of the farmers’ paddy seedlings, despite the fact that not so long ago it received substantial funding to do better and to progress. Instead it has regressed.

Rice farmers are not prepared to remain complacent any longer. GRDB will have to do better because it is the paymaster of all Burma’s personnel.

In the autumn crop of 2007, the Burma Research Station produced seedling paddy for farmers and because of negligence and poor management 40% of what was produced went for commercial milling. Surely, this is an indictment of the state and the rice farmers, but then who cares?

Because of the market forces and the demand for their commodity, rice farmers have risen from being pariahs to people of prominence. All of a sudden, people the world over realize that farmers in poor countries have been treated badly. You see everyone had been busy eating and drinking what we produce without being mindful of our existence.

I always say that there is dignity in farming.  After all we feed the world and when the Good Lord created man with all his biological intricacies, he then called the farmer and said in whispers to him, feed my creation. That’s how important we are.
In short, I tried, but then I am just a farmer.
Yours faithfully,
Ganga Persaud

Editor’s note:

A copy of this letter has been sent to the Guyana Rice Development Board for any comment it may wish to make.