THE Directors of Nand Persaud Group of Companies and their collaborative partners The University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC) turned the sod to officially commence construction of a $24M state of the art’ Nand Perdaud Soil Testing Centre’ at the UGBC’s Johns Campus.

In a simple ceremony held at the Natural Sciences Faculty in Johns East Berbice Corentyne on Wednesday the sod turning signaled the commencement of construction ?in two weeks with the project expected to be completed in October. ???

Chairman of the Nand Persaud Group Rajendra Persaud noted that the partnership between the university and a private company is a great step in the right direction that will pave the way for many more similar projects in the future. He noted that the initiative will be a game changer in the agriculture industry since farmers now have the option to test their soil and determine what the best crop to plant is. This he noted can help to develop industries around said crop with massive potential for revenue and cost reduction. “What the lab does is that it allows you to make decisions based on scientific information, this will reduce the use of fertilizers and increase productivity,” Persaud said.

He noted that the company has “great plans” for the future in agriculture, chief among them is the setting up of agriculture incubation programmes where new crops can be developed in the region aside from the traditional crops where farmers can plant crops that have readily available markets.

Mohindra Persaud the company’s CEO noted that with the use of the facility free of cost farmers, students and the community as a whole stand to benefit. This he said is in keeping with the company’s aim of improving the lives, production and productivity of farmers as well as that of the community and urged farmers to make full use of the facility that he too hopes can transform the agricultural industry in Berbice. “I expect with the use of the lab farmers can be able to get at least yields of 50 bags per acre given that we have flat lands and fresh water. There are a few farmers that are getting 50 bags and with soils tests they can now increase that to 60 or more bags per acre. With this I see no reason why we as a country should not be the world leaders in rice production as very few countries have access to flat lands and fresh water.”
Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana Professor Ivelaw Griffith noted that the moment is a historic one that warrants celebration and congratulated the company as well as the UGBC Director for the initiative.

“We ought to find a moment to celebrate that partnership and this is one of those moments where we are celebrating not only a partnership that benefits the company but a partnership that will benefit the university and the community. We are part of a historic moment where years from now when the real work of this centre translates into practical reality to expand agriculture many will remember as an important part of that journey.”
Meanwhile President of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce Poonai Bhigroog lauded the initiative and pledged the Chamber’s full support since he see this as an opportunity for the people of Berbice to benefit from a state of the art facility that can improve their livelihoods.

“With the closure of the estates many have returned to farming and they are certain to benefit from this venture. Graduates can be employed in this centre, experiments can be done to advance agriculture,” he said. A businessman by profession who has a passion for farming himself Bhigroog noted that agriculture is the backbone of the Berbice economy and this development is a critical part in the transformation of the industry
He explained soil testing in Berbice is important for a number of reasons; farmers will be able to boost crop production, protect the environment from the use of excessive fertilizer, diagnose plant problems, improve the nutritional balance of the growing plant and to save money and conserve energy by applying only the amount of fertilizer needed. Moreover, it will help in producing a healthier nation as consumers will benefit from food produced from the best and safe practices.

Director of UGBC Gomathinayagam Subramanian said the realization of the project is a dream come true for him and the university which has always been looking for ways to engage, help and give back to the community. He noted he has been providing similar services pro-bono since 2006 when he started at the university and recognizes that the lab will be a great asset to the agricultural sector.

The $24M facility when completed is expected to be able to provide soil and disease testing for farmers. The results received are expected to guide farmers on best practices to improve their soil and production. The ceremony was well attended by farmers from across Berbice.