— covers rehabilitation works on GMC’s Parika packing facility, supply of excavators for GuySuCo

SEVERAL agencies that fall under the umbrella of the Ministry of Agriculture, on Tuesday, signed contracts for the supply of a number of key pieces of equipment as well as the provision of retrofitting and rehabilitation services for a number of facilities totalling in excess of $474 million.
One of the contracts entailed the retrofitting and rehabilitation works that will be done at the New Guyana Marketing Corporation’s (New GMC) packaging facility which is located in Parika, Region Three. This contract was signed with Pacific Service System for a total of $20,902,924. The project is likely to commence next Monday and is expected to be completed in three months. Similarly, the New GMC also signed a contract with 3D Construction totalling $5,542,776 to retrofit the peanut butter processing facility at St. Ignatius, Region Nine.

Contracts were also signed with UMAMI for the supply and delivery of preservatives totalling $3,920,000; the supply, delivery, and installation of two permanent cold storages with Meditron totalling $4,300,889; the construction of a solar dryer at the GMC facility with Grimmond Electrical and Transportation Services totalling $2,563,292; the retrofitting of the processing facility at Hope Coconut Industries Limited with Triple ‘A’ Construction Services & Supplies totalling $8,947,400, and the retrofitting of the packaging and processing facility located at Watooka in Region 10 totalling $9,602,274.

DRAINAGE AND IRRIGATION
The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) also signed three contracts totalling $356,500,000 with Guyana Tractor & Equipment Limited for the supply and delivery of nine long reach (track type) hydraulic excavators, one short reach (trach type) hydraulic excavator, and one short reach (wheel type) hydraulic excavator. These pieces of equipment are required for the rehabilitation of the drainage and irrigation channels on all of GuySuCo’s estates, inclusive of the channels that run through residential communities. The works will also include the rebuilding of the surrounding perimeter dam of the Albion Estate. Furthermore, the excavators will also be utilised for the maintenance of infrastructure such as dams, bridges, aqueducts, etc., that form part of the essential requirement for the field operations.
The Guyana Rice Development Board also signed a contract with JR Engineering Solutions totalling $12,104,206 for the rehabilitation of the soil laboratory at the Burma Rice Research Station.

Once completed, this facility will enable researchers to provide sound recommendations to farmers on what type and quantity of fertilisers are needed for their crop. This is in keeping with the ministry’s objective of doubling rice production and productivity by 2025.
The Hydromet Department signed two contracts with Rushmar Business Enterprise and General Services totalling $23,535200 for transportation services.
The National Drainage and Irrigation Service signed two contracts, one with Innovative Engineering Consultancy Services for the provision of consultancy services for the supervision of the Onverwagt Farm-to-Market Road in Region Five totalling $6,353,000 and the other with Eron Lall Engineering Works for the construction of living quarters at Lama within the East Demerara Water Conservancy totalling $20,613,050.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
During the signing exercise, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said the contracts being signed were for major projects that will help to sustainably develop the sector over the years. “We are advancing in our work programme because we are approaching the end of 2021. In this sector, we have been seeing a lot of activities being undertaken to advance the sector and a lot of people are once again involved in agriculture in Guyana. This is why those companies that are signing contracts must provide efficient services in a timely manner,” Minister Mustapha said.
As it relates to GuySuCo, Minister Mustapha added that, “these machines are very critical. When I spoke at this year’s budget debate, I spoke about the importance of these and other equipment as we move towards the reopening of the closed estates and the recapitalisation of GuySuCo.”

Minister Mustapha, while speaking about the contracts inked for rehabilitation and retrofitting of the agro-processing facilities, said that the government, since taking office, has placed a lot of emphasis on improving and expanding farmers’ productivity.
“As a government, we are putting a lot of effort and emphasis into agro-processing. We recognise the importance of building, rehabilitating, and retrofitting new and existing agro-processing facilities. We want our farmers to advance their style of production and move to a higher level. If we are going to tap into new markets in the Caribbean, then these types of facilities will be critical,” Minister Mustapha said.
Minister Mustapha reiterated that in executing the works and providing the services and equipment, contractors are not only providing a service to the ministry, but to the citizens of Guyana, and as such, works and services should be done in a timely manner and according to the contract specifications.