THE Ministry of Agriculture, on Wednesday, signed eight contracts totaling $1,329,392,603 for a series of projects as part of its 2021 capital programme.

The contracts were signed for the construction of several paddy drying facilities, the construction and rehabilitation of drainage pump stations, a sluice and an agro-processing facility.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Agriculture, subject minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, said that some of the projects are multi-year projects, but it is important for contractors to remain on schedule.

As it relates to the paddy drying facilities, Minister Mustapha said that the facilities were needed to improve the current system farmers use to dry their paddy.

“We are coming very close to awarding all the contracts for projects that were approved in the 2021 budget. This is the tail end but these are large projects that we are awarding, and as usual I want to implore contractors to get them done within the contract period.

“These projects are multi-year projects because of the amount of work they entail but they are very critical projects for the delivery of services to the people of this country,” Minister Mustapha said.

He went on to say: “As it relates to the drying floors, these are also very critical. Rice farmers are often forced to dry their paddy on the public roads and we want to change that culture.

Although a number of these facilities already exist, some people do not want to use them. We will be working to encourage farmers to use these facilities so that conflict with pedestrians and motorists can be avoided.”

Pertaining to the drying floors, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the Ministry of Agriculture signed a contract valuing $16,889,364 with A&J Construction Services for the construction of a drying facility at Black Bush Polder.

Another contract valuing $16,700,000 was singed with H Nauth and Sons for the construction of a concrete drying floor at Benab, No. 63 village, Corentyne, while two other contracts worth $16,949,888 and $17,537,100 were signed respectively with TVS Engineering, Contracting & Construction Establishment and NP Investment for drying floors at Cane Grove, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara and De Hoop, Mahaica.

The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) also signed a contract with H Nauth and Sons for the construction of a pump station at Andrews, on the Essequibo Coast, to the tune of $532,067,550.

The authority also signed a contract valuing $446,854,320 for the rehabilitation of a pump station at Adventure, Berbice, with D Sawh Mechanical Workshop, and another worth $259,458,750 for the construction of a sluice at Capoey, Essequibo Coast, with M. Sukhai Contracting Services.

Finally, the new Guyana Marketing Corporation (new GMC) also signed a contract with DBL Contracting and General Supplies to the tune of $22 million for the construction of a processing facility at Fort Wellington, Region Five.