The Essequibo Paddy Farmers Association (EPFA) on Wednes-day reached out to the two largest private sector bodies in the country hoping the agencies could use their influence to ensure that the rice sector conforms to transparent practices.
At a press briefing held at the Ariantze Hotel, President of the the EPFA, Naith Ram stated that the meetings with the umbrella Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) were successful. He stated that the next step was to petition the Ministry of Agriculture, requesting a sit down with the minister to discuss the future of the rice industry from the perspective of rice farmers.
President of the PSC, Ramesh Persaud told Stabroek News that the EPFA came forward to express their frustration with how the Rice Factories Act was being implemented to the detriment of rice farmers. He said that their main concerns were with how paddy prices were being set and that the PSC promised to conduct more research to establish what the current situation
