Dear Editor,
Government sounded a clear warning to rice millers by establishing a drying floor at Bengal. Farmers will benefit from this major project and enhance their lives. The project is aimed directly to fulfil the developmental needs of the rural farmers and eradicate exploitation.

It is very important for the government to reach out to the farmers and provide them with the necessary tools which will impact positively on their lives. The government will have to liberate the farmers because they are the pillars of our country. Farmers will have to take charge of their lives too and enjoy a better quality of life through the project. The project goals and objectives are to place more emphasis on farmers’ welfare.

According to Minister of Agriculture, Mr Robert Persaud farmers should set up small and medium-size rice mills and drying floors as is the case in Bengal which would make them independent and hence result in competition in the free market system. This will subsequently result in an increase in price offered by millers for farmers’ paddy.

One of the visions for the rice industry of Guyana was to increase the income of small rice farmers which would have resulted in an improved quality of life.

There is therefore need for intelligent and skilful policies to be implemented to facilitate the transition and a restructuring process for the industry. However, it is always better to have unity among farmers and millers, since this was the way forward. A number of farming communities have benefitted previously from support received from Oxfam. In my tenure as a Field Extension Officer with the RPA before my accident in July 20, 2004, I was trained in a number of disciplines in a more scientific manner in warehouse management, paddy grading, sampling, identification of varieties and quality control. The common vision of the government and the GRPA is to further expand on these projects in other rice farming communities.

Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan
Former RPA
Extension Officer