$96M to procure fertilisers for cash crop farmers

Three agencies that fall under the Ministry of Agriculture signed contracts on Thursday totalling $161.7 million to improve the agriculture sector.

The largest contract of $96.6 million for the procurement of fertilisers for cash crop farmers was awarded Cyril Singh Agricultural Enterprise through the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).’

The $25.5 million contract for the much-needed agro-processing facility at White Water in Region One was also inked on Thursday. This contract was awarded Supreme Contracting and Supplies by the Guyana Marketing Corporation.

The facility is expected to be completed by the end of this year and will significantly increase food production in the community. The community is prone to flooding which often time leads to the loss of crops due to prolonged rainfall and poor access to roads.

Some 250 households are expected to benefit with 67 persons directly involved in agro-processing.

Through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), the $21 million contract for consultancy services supervision of the Charity Pump Station, was awarded to E&A Consultants.

This will ensure the effective implementation of the pump station, which once completed, will provide flood control to approximately 400 families and farmers by draining more than 200 acres of farmlands for the cultivation of cash crops. This will replace the two mobile pumps in the area.

CEMCO Inc through NDIA also signed the $18.5 million contract for consultancy services supervision of the construction of the A-Line sluice that will benefit approximately 3000 acres of residential and farmlands in Versailles and Canal No.1 on the West Bank of Demerara.

“This is our work programme that we have been executing over the last few months and I want contractors to ensure that they do the work according to the specification and also execute it on a timely basis,” Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha said during brief remarks.