Dear Editor,
I was really amused reading an article in the Guyana Chronicle of January 14, ‘APNU Councillor says farmers should take millers to court to get their payments -AFC says farmers are afraid to do so, calls for delinquent miller’s licence to be revoked.’ This I assumed happened in a meeting at the RDC Boardroom of Region Two over millers still owing farmers their paddy money, although there was a bail-out lately by government.
The argument by the two opposition councillors was valid in my opinion, according to the Rice Factories Act 2002. What makes me laugh is when the Regional Chairman was reported as saying that the agreement between the rice farmer and a miller is a private one. I wish to make it clear that the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) is empowered to enforce the Rice Factories Act when breached by the millers, and there is no private arrangement when it comes to the farmers’ livelihoods.
The board is even empowered in the prosecution of offences and recovery of penalties. It has the power to enter and inspect a factory and examine books, revoke licences and most of all witness the record for the sale of paddy by the producer (farmer) to the manufacturer (miller). Under the sixth schedule of the act the miller is bound to sign for the total sum of money, quantity of paddy received, price per bag with the day and year he did the transaction with the farmer, along with two witnesses, one being the GRDB representative at the mill and the RPA representative present.
The Rice Factories Act was passed in an effort to protect the rice farmers and to improve their quality of life, thereby promoting standardization by millers. During my tenure there were induction seminars held by the GRDB at the Burma Research Station. The aim was to sensitize field officers and grading officers about the operations, administration and integration of quality control, marketing/export, research and development, payments to farmers by millers according to the act and extension services. These seminars were conducted by Brian Greenidge, and were fruitful because they provided officers with insightful information about the organization and the rice industry.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan
