[www.inewsguyana.com] – Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo has promised that the APNU+AFC administration will look towards the enactment of relevant legislation to protect private cane farmers.
Nagamootoon made the comment at the National Cane Farmers Conference last Friday where he underscored the importance of private interest to the sugar industry.
While sugar is dominated by the Guyana Sugar Company (GuySuCo), Nagamootoo pointed out that 10% of Guyana’s overall production comes from private farmers.
“The Private cane farmers community, totaling 2,200 individuals, must be recognized for their sterling contributions to the overall sugar production drive of GuySuCo. Including their families, this will probably amount to over 10,000 persons who have for many years dedicated their lives to growing sugar cane,” said Nagamootoo.
He noted too that these farmers are expected to produce 26,132 tonnes of sugar this year.
“They have already made 8,991 tonnes in the 1st crop and another 17,141 tonnes of sugar is expected for the 2nd crop. This will amount to approximately 11.5% of the total sugar production for this year,” said the Prime Minister.
In this vein he pointed out the need for legislation to protect private interests.
“I ask for the respective Ministers with portfolio for Agriculture, Finance, Business and Cooperatives to enact appropriate legislation to protect and support private cane farming in Guyana, so that you, cane farmers, can provide for yourselves and your families through enhanced earnings from cane farming,” he said.
The ultimate goal, according to Nagamootoo, would be to see that all cane farmers would have improved living conditions and a better way of life.
Mr PM , I do not want to publicly disagree with you, but that is all ”fluff”; the PPP destroyed the Private cane farmers by (1) removing the field officers who used to visit the cane farmers cane fields to verify that the cane to be harvested was matured.(2) turned a blind eye on its supporters who ”double reaped ” a variety of cane that grew quickly but lacked the requisite sucrose content.(3) took away the factory/cane-farmers inspectors who would verify samples of cane supplied to determine its sucrose content, therefore everyone was paid a standard rate for cane supplied . Hence there was no motivation for anyone to supply ”matured” cane. More young cane was supplied, less sugar produced, more ‘wear and tear’ on the factory, more demand for fertilizers, more stealing of ”Guysuco” fertilizers to satisfy the burgeoning demand…..a vicious cycle of corruption ensued.
Finally, how can GUYSUCO pay them for cane produced at an average cost of $0.40 and sold for $0.15 ? Will the Government now subsidize the cane farmers as they now do the ‘harvesters’? Decisions made solely on ‘political considerations’ will not ”cut it”.
The nemakharam speaks.. he acts as if he is president,u think if granger ain’t say talk,he will talk.. granger send he to ensure calm among the common folks.. nemakharam did only power,greed and position.. he ain’t get squat.
Yes Gary. I am not a PPP party member but am not scared to say I SUPPORT THAT PARTY. Use whatever label you want. In Guyana once you support the PPP, you are targeted or ridiculed by PNC thugs. That’s what they have been trained to do. No regrets being a PPP supporter. Very PROUD
And there you go again and the cronies is the backing on the curtain of the Pee Pee Pee.
Don’t bother with the nagga man, he will lure you all cane farmers and then he will go back from his words, remember what they are doing with Private Investors, he will after a time take all the sugar from you for free!!!!!!!like what they are trying to do with the berbice river bridge
Nah lie this man could promise though. A wonder wha he promise ramayya make dem two fall out
Moses, again you are making promises? You are just a curtain over APNU racist window laced with sweeteners. Like ants, you fall for all that sweetness and in your attempts to make yourself relevant, you repeat verbatim what Harmon dictates knowing fully well you cannot deliver. How many vacant chairs were in the conference hall? Why do you think so many cane farmers stayed away? They know that you are a NAMAKHARAM