[www.inewsguyana.com] – Two Councillors on the Opposition benches of the Region Two Democratic Council have disagreed over the issue of taking millers to Court for payment of paddy purchased during the last crop.
Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillor, Naithram raised the issue of farmers not getting payment for paddy sold to millers during the last crop at the statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic Council on Tuesday, May 13.
He pointed out that it is now 60 days and farmers have not received their payments. The AFC Councillor said millers are taking advantage of farmers. At this point, the Regional Chairman Parmanand Persaud interjected and informed the Councillor that farmers have an arrangement and a responsibility to take the millers to Court through the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) if the 42 days agreement passes.
The Chairman said the Government through the Ministry of Agriculture had to intervene and rescue farmers earlier this year by providing more than $400M to pay them for paddy sold to millers late last year.
Persaud said by next week rice farmers should be receiving their payments because shipments of paddy have started to Venezuela.
Meanwhile, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Councillor Wazir Latiff supported the Regional Chairman’s position on the matter.
