“…If he (Beni) does not pay farmers, then we would have no alternative than to take him to court—we would do that on behalf? of the farmers—and go for asset seizure.”- GRPA’s Dharam Kumar SeerajThe Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and Guyana Rice Producers Association (GRPA), has metGRPA Gen. Sec’y Dharam Kumar Seerajwith delinquent Mahaicony Rice Mill farmer, Surinamese national Jai Beni regarding the late payments to farmers at Black Bush Polder (BBP), Corentyne.Beni has been given a few days to pay the farmers, or his assets would be seized and he would be taken to court.General Secretary of GRPA, Mr. Dharam Kumar Seeraj, said on Saturday that every effort is being made to have the errant miller make payments as early as possible to the angry rice farmers.“We would want farmers to be paid within 42 days of delivery…the responsibility to pay farmers lies solely with the millers,” he informed.The official acknowledged that the Mahaicony Rice Mill farmer has been “delinquent” in paying farmers. “They have stocks in hand,” he stated.Seeraj stated that the GRPA, GRDB and Government have taken a number of initiatives in recognition of the fact that farmers have not been getting paid, “to ease the plight on the industry,Jerseys Cheap NFL, because on a number of instances, this is the plight of the industry.“Jai Beni, if he does not pay farmers, then we would have no alternative than to take him to court—we would do that on behalf? of the farmers—and go for asset seizure.”The GRPA official said that Beni has assured them that “he has a market for the stocks—he has money coming in and will be able to liquidate the outstanding amount within one-and-a-half weeks…we hope that this will be forthcoming—if not, we are prepared to go this route to ensure that the farmers get paid,Cheap NFL Jerseys, but generally, we have also encashed post- dated cheques,Cheap Hockey Jerseys, provide farmers with fertilizers and seed paddy and even? made advances to different millers from the GOG, because it is an industry problem and we have to address it from an industry perspective.”Seeraj gave all assurances to BBP rice farmers, “that we appreciate the current hardships you are going through…and if the company is unable to make the full payments within the time stated, we are prepared to take legal action on your behalf, to either see the stock, or seize the property and sell it out and make sure that the farmers get their payments.”Angry rice farmers burned tyres and protested on Friday because of almost $200M owed to them by a Black Bush Polder miller since last year.After being told that the Manager of the Black Bush Rice Mill was not around, several rice farmers became irate and started to burn wood, tyres and other debris on the road leading to the factory. Police later arrived on the scene and cleared the roadway. General Manager, Jagnarine Singh, of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB),Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, which regulates the industry had stated that the body has received complaints from farmers and has been attempting to summon officials from the mill to a meeting in the city.Seeraj added that rice production in Guyana has increased, “it’s really phenomenal what has happened in four years!” From a cultivation nationally of 175,000 acres to this present crop, 238,000 acres,Jerseys NFL Cheap, “indeed the production has moved from 400,Wholesale Cheap Jerseys,000 tonnes too to 633,000 tonnes last year within four short years.”Today over 20 per cent of rice being produced here is being exported to high- priced markets, he said, in Venezuela, “so the price has come down.” Last year, the industry broke production records, exporting more than 500,000 tonnes of rice and producing in excess of 600,000 tonnes. Jai Beni’s Black Bush Polder rice mill reportedly owes farmers in the Corentyne around $200M from the last crop.