Anxious rice farmers who do not know what price they would be paid for a bag ofRice farmers at a meeting with senior officers of the Guyana Rice Development Board.paddy by millers, and who are yet to receive payments for paddy sold, met with senior officers of the Development Board (GRDB), on Thursday.The venue was the PRA bond at Anna Regina. The farmers had an open discussion on their non-payment and other issues affecting their livelihood.Farmers attempted to get clarity on what the price for paddy would be for this crop, and what systems would management put in place to currently address the prevailing issue of paddy bug infestation.The latter is a problem which?continues to see the infestation of paddy bugs invading rice fields. The farmers also have issues with dockage and moisture damaged paddy. In some cases, the additional problems the farmers are encountering involves the purchase of?seed paddy.Head of GRDB,Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys, Jagnarine Singh,cheap nfl jerseys online, told rice farmers that the (rice farmers) should at least be paid $3,000 for a bag of B Grade paddy this crop.He reminded them that GRDB does not apply any prices for paddy. Rather,Wholesale China Jerseys, the agreement of pricing for paddy is one which is done between millers and the farmers.”It’s a private engagement.”Singh explained that this year’s contract between Venezuela and Guyana was signed two weeks ago but no shipment of paddy has yet left Guyana. Some 200,000 tons of paddy along with 74,000 tons of rice which was bartered in the agreement between the two countries,Cheap China Jerseys,?is slated for exportation once the final arrangements have been completed.In an attempt to reassure rice farmers about sufficient markets, Singh added that Vietnam and Thailand are major competitors for Guyana. He sought to caution them (rice farmers) that the Guyana Rice Industry is trying effortlessly to improve production, while lamenting that managing of cost is necessary to compete in the world market.”We are looking for markets all over.”Singh said, while Venezuela remains the high price market,Cheap Jerseys Supply, some 600,000 tons of paddy was sold to Panama, last year. Another 20,000 tons was sold to Haiti with varying portions sold to Nicaragua and Brazil.The GRDB head also said that markets are being sourced from two major African countries. In regards to early payments, he told farmers that his team would be working “more” with millers to ensure that cheques are being prepared and the display of the varying prices of paddy would be initiated, along with the names of the millers on a sign board to be soon erected at the local GRDB board.He informed that one miller was purchasing paddy currently in the Region, with another issuing part payment to rice farmers.A section of rice farmers,Cheap NFL Jerseys, who didn’t received sufficient answers to questions, walked out of the meeting displaying their disgust.One farmer, Chandie, informed that he recently bought one bag of seed paddy for $8000 and that the quality was close to garbage. He asked Singh to have someone from his team look into the matter and also called for a better standard for seed paddy.Another farmer suggested that farmers sow only one crop instead of two crops for the year, since he argued whenever there is a glut in the market, the price for paddy is lower.? He said that rice farmers can survive with one crop for the year, since their productivity has increased massively.Other farmers have suggested to the GRDB head to consider aerial spraying to effectively contain the infestation of the paddy bug. One of the GRDB team member reminded farmers that, why the idea of aerial spraying was flaunted in 1989. Since then, the backlands have become populated.While harvesting of this crop continues in the Region, some 15,000 acres of paddy has already been harvested. Rice farmers who were engaged in peaceful protests for the past month did not take to the streets yesterday.Rice cultivation is the main economic activity in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam).