AGRICULTURE Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has, on Sunday, witnessed the loading of rice harvested from the Santa Fe Mega Farm investment for onward transport to Brazil.

The cargo rice was first processed at the Santa Fe mill, constructed by the investors.

This has been the third occasion in which the Simpson family of Barbados has successfully harvested rice to supply the local Region Nine market as well as Brazil. For 2014, more than 8,000 tonnes of cargo rice were exported to Brazil.

Santa Fe Inc. investor, Sir Kyffin Simpson, is adamant that the investment at Santa Fe has, from inception, continued to be a favourable one, and is committed to ensuring additional growth in the hinterland region. The project has modelled its cultivation on techniques used in Brazil as well as those used in Guyana, and utilises a Brazilian expert to guide the process.

Dr. Ramsammy said, “There continues to be progress every time I visit Santa Fe…. Such success is a model which shows what can be done in savannah lands.”

He further alluded to the fact that there continues to be tremendous potential — thus far largely untapped — for agriculture development in the hinterland.
Since its inception, the project has also welcome successful harvest of not only rice but cash crops and the production/rearing of piglets, cows and sheep, as the investors begin a modern cattle industry. The project commenced with 120 acres of rice. However, the Simpson family, who are also the owners of Sol Group, realised this was not enough, and have since significantly expanded their operations.

To date, the Santa Fe project is not only equipped with a certified mill to process the paddy, but the necessary infrastructure — such as drainage and irrigation canals and a pump system – are all in place.

The project is also set to utilise the savannahs for soya bean and corn cultivation, which would significantly aid the Caribbean in reducing its imports of the said commodities, and allow for trade and expanded markets within the Region.

The project is being managed and supervised by Guyanese Richard Vasconcellos. Of the 60 employees, 57 are Guyanese from Region 9.

Accompanying the Agriculture Minister on this visit were the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. George Jervis; Chief Executive Officer of NAREI, Dr. Oudho Homenauth; Chief Executive Officer of GLDA, Dr. Dindyal Permaul; Chief Executive Officer of the NDIA, Mr. Lionel Wordsworth; Deputy General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board, Mr. Rickey Ramraj; and Deputy Registrar of the PTTCB Board, Mr. Suresh Singh.

The Santa Fe team included the owner, Sir Kyffin Simpson; Chairman of the Santa Fe Board of Directors, Mr. Ronald Hardford; President of Itikawa Arroz (rice), Mr. Nelson Itikawa; and Guyanese project director, Mr. Richard Vasconcellos. (Ravin Singh)