Vice President of Guyana and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has refuted claims that the government has not been supportive of the agriculture industry.
Speaking at his weekly press conference last Thursday, Dr. Jagdeo addressed what he described as a false narrative being spread by some, suggesting that the government has neglected farmers.
“Since this government came into office, we have spent billions of dollars on drainage and irrigation, and farmers know that. If you look across the entire country, every farmer would tell you that this government has invested in farm-to-market roads and drainage and irrigation. These are the lifeblood of the industry. We removed the taxes on pesticides, fertilizers, etc. We removed the taxes on machinery and equipment. We have been giving out seed paddy, fertilizers, and chemicals to farmers,” he stated.
Dr. Jagdeo also noted that the government has reduced taxes on farming equipment and machinery, provided flood relief to farmers, and removed the commission from the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) that millers had to pay when rice prices dropped.
“That cost us a lot because we then had to help the GRDB. The GRDB was run based on the commission. We gave the GRDB about four hundred million dollars to fund its operations because the commission was returned to the farmers just to keep rice prices high,” he explained.
The Vice President also cited a recent report by the Guyana Rice Producers Association, which shows a significant increase in yield, particularly this year, with a rise in paddy production.
He highlighted that Berbice alone is producing three million bags of paddy, creating a challenge in marketing the surplus.
“We’ve seen prices come down this year to about $3,600—that’s what the millers are offering. Right now, the government is working on some arrangements to hopefully increase prices again. We’ve been engaging with the millers and developing initiatives, which we will unveil shortly,” Dr. Jagdeo said.
In addition, he noted that this year, the government has been distributing mini-excavators to Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) across the country, focusing on improving internal drainage.
