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$350M sluice, pump house for Black Bush Polder
-Agri Ministry inks $567M contracts
Contracts to the value of $568M for the agriculture sector were yesterday inked with flood-prone farming area at Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, Berbice geared to receive a $350M sluice and pump station.
Agriculture officials, among them Minister Robert Persaud, disclosed that the eight contracts, which included two animal quarantine stations in the hinterlands, were in the making for almost four years and are in no way an elections’ campaign gimmick.
Financed under a US$21M Inter-American Development Bank as part of the country’s plans to diversify its crops’ production and exports, the idea is to reduce the country’s dependence on the traditional rice and sugar sectors and broaden the growth in areas of aquaculture, fruits and vegetables and cattle.
Eight major agricultural contracts were signed yesterday. In photo Agri Minister, Robert Persaud, hands over one of the signed contract documents to a representative of a construction firm.
At Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara, a $53,671,200 contract was awarded to General Engineering Supplies and Services. This four-month project, the Ministry disclosed, will see the installation of a new engine and gearbox, construction of security hut, access bridge, fence, new generator set and new electrical cables, among other things.
The pump, according to the Ministry would service a 7,200 farming area, benefitting over 900 farmers.
Horizon Electrical Associates and General Construction Company has been awarded the contract to conduct supplementary drainage works for Yakusari, in the East Black Bush Polder, for $349,860,003.
According to Minister Persaud, the Yakusari area has been known for easy flooding and works to start will address some of the more immediate problems.
To benefit an area covering over 10,000 acres and 900 farmers, the works will include the construction of two new sea sluice, new two-module pump station, installation of engine, two pumps and discharge pipes and generator.
It will see the driving of 200 greenheart piles and the construction of bridges across the sluice and gate-lifting mechanisms, among other things.
At the Number 56 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, an access road to the rice feed facility will be constructed to the tune of $38,434,825.
The contract which was awarded to Colin Talbot Construction Services will see the construction of a 1,000 feet long asphaltic concrete road and clearing of drains.
According to Minister Persaud, two new quarantine posts will also be built in the hinterland to monitor the movements of especially animals. At the moment, live cattle are not allowed to be brought to the city from Lethem and the surrounding Region Nine areas because of risk of diseases, especially the Brazil located only a few miles away.
These facilities are to enhance security and other checks.
At St. Ignatius, a contractor for $7,106,138 was awarded to Alvin Chowritmootoo Construction Services for the building of a 9-meters x 6-meters laboratory building.
Another similar contract for $6,703,675 was awarded to Kurt Cumberbatch. This time, the quarantine post will be located at Mabura.
Trinidad-based Western Scientific Company Limited of Trinidad and Tobago Limited has been awarded two contracts to the tune of $61.5M.
These contracts involve technical training of equipment and the supply, delivery installation and testing of lab equipment, re-agents and chemicals for a Biological and Tissue Culture Laboratories at NAREI.
IPA Healthcare Guyana also won a contract to supply, deliver and install laboratory equipment for NAREI’s seeds, germplasm, plant diagnostic and soil chemistry/microbiology laboratories.
According to the Minister, the pressure has been mounting to find new farming lands with 50,000 acres released but this has mandated government to continuously finding ways to ensure that Guyana is protected from the weather extremes.
The growth has also placed pressure on the government’s research facility, the National Agricultural Research to rise its production of seeds and animals.
A major investment coming on stream in Region Nine for corn will demand a huge supply that Guyana will want to meet, the Minister said.
The investments in NAREI are all geared to meet these needs.
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