When you put self-interest before country – the rice economy

Dear Editor,

When the coalition Government openly told rice farmers that they would have to find their own markets, it was the single most reprehensible statement to have been ever made by a government. It was the most callous, cold-hearted thing to date and which clearly shows that they are not interested in country.

For an economy that is growing at a rapid rate as ours and about to pass the one million tonne mark this year, this takes the cake. Guyana is doomed. What is even more distressing is the fact that when you look at the rice sector it marks an area that accounts for some 30% of our GNP, and to deliberately cause its demise is the worse possible thing to hit Guyana since May 11.

So let us take a closer look at what this Government actually said to its rice farmers and the morbid consequences of such words. They have said to rice farmers: go find your own markets, we are not going to do that for you. This is outright sabotage from a Government which promised these very same farmers to lift them to higher heights because the previous Administration stifled their growth and development. Then, it should have been the beginning of the glory days of the “good life”, but is it?

What we see played out on the streets of Guyana are hordes of disgruntled farmers clamouring for those campaign promises, as a horrible future looms on the horizon. In essence the Government is saying from now onwards you will have to paddle your own canoe with no help from central government whatsoever. They have thrown those farmers under the bus and sabotaged the rice industry.

Disaster is ahead for those farmers who invested heavily in the industry in machinery and other infrastructure such as tractors, combines and the like. Their trip to the bank is written in red. The implications in real terms means that those farmers are either going to give up the collaterals like their house and land to the bank while hurriedly opt out of the industry.

Is this the change we were looking forward to? This is what Guyanese are faced with! Right now we are bracing for a further decline as the growth index shows a decline of 2.5% so we are in real trouble.

Our troubles are compounded when you view the fact that this Government can arbitrarily raise their salaries by 50%. While all the indications point to a failed state, Government can think it best to bask in a wage hike for itself. This is adding salt to the wound; this is most outrageous.

I must close by saying, you kill a promising foreign income earner like the ice industry and the entire country will go under. I wonder where are all the PPP/C critics now. Where are those who told those imaginary stories of the PPP/C destroying the economy? Where are they, have they lost their voices?

Neil Adams