Essequibo Coast miller says rice board to blame for delay in pay-outs to farmers

Essequibo Coast miller Wazir Hussein says that he is being unfairly blamed for the payments owed to rice farmers, which is due to the slow pay-out of cash from the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) to millers. 

During an outreach in Region Two, Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder recently condemned the delay in payments to rice farmers by millers on the Essequibo Coast and dubbed it as a “clear demonstration of unfair business practices.”

During the outreach, Essequibo Paddy Producers Association head Naith Ram made a plea for help. Ram said he was seeking intervention from the ministry on behalf of Essequibo Coast rice farmers, who are being held to ransom by many millers, including Hussein, who is one of the largest millers.