A certain level of stability has been established within the rice industry thanks to the platform that President Chan Santokhi constructed in April of last year. More than 25% of the objectives established by the platform were accomplished in the first year. In order to accomplish at least 65% of the objectives outlined, it is anticipated that the rice platform will be able to act more decisively in its second year of operation, leading to the eventual creation of the rice product board. From the rice district of Nickerie, chairman Soedeshchand Jairam says this.
Due to disagreements between farmers and purchasers, shortages of crucial inputs, as well as complaints about poor infrastructure, the sector was frequently in the news. After the evaluation, Jairam draws the conclusion that over the last two seasons, a cautious level of calm has arisen as a result of the structured interaction between representatives of all significant groups within the platform, which should serve as the foundation for ongoing progress. The forum for the rice industry was established with the primary objective of bringing together the various sector stakeholders in order to address issues and difficulties in a methodical way. The platform should be viewed as a step before the establishment of the board for the sale of rice, whose legislation has already been passed by the National Assembly.
The platform was initially set for 1 year, but this period was recently extended by 2 years by the head of state. Jairam indicates that the first 6 months were spent on data collection and the establishment of subcommittees within the platform, each of which is charged with specific tasks .
The platform as a whole meets once a month. Matters such as pricing, tackling the infrastructure and laying the foundations for increased seed production are mentioned by the chairman as direct results that have been achieved in the first year. He emphasizes that the platform is not involved in the implementation, but acts as an advisor, mediator and initiator of projects that affect the rice sector.
