NAMILCO to launch four new products

May 23, 2009 News

…celebrates 40th anniversary

The National Milling Company (NAMILCO) will be launching four new products in two months’ time.
Managing Director Bert Sukhai made the announcement on Thursday last at a cocktail reception for its stakeholders. The venue was the Pegasus Hotel and the occasion marked the 40th anniversary of the entity in Guyana, as well as recognizing its receipt of the ISO 9001:2008 Certification for quality management.

NAMILCO celebrates its 40th Anniversary

The gathering comprised members of the Diplomatic Corps, among them US Ambassador to Guyana, John Jones and US Charge d’Affaires Karen Williams; Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Commerce Minister, Manniram Prashad.
Sukhai said that the Takutu Bridge was a welcomed initiative in light of the fact that the company plans to export flour products to Brazil.
He added that it was the company’s commitment to excellence that has culminated with the achievement of ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System certification.
According to Sukhai, the process of acquiring the certificate began at NAMILCO in 2007 with key staff members within the company being given strategic positions and responsibilities, resulting in the company being the first in Guyana to achieve the international standard in 2009.
NAMILCO has provided Guyana with high quality flour products for almost four decades, except for the period between 1982 and 1985 when the mill was forced to cease operations after the government banned flour and wheat imports in a drive to make citizens consume only local products and save on foreign exchange.
Seaboard Corporation of the USA, the ultimate parent company for NAMILCO, owns wholly or in joint ventures, 15 other flour mills in Africa and in Central and South America. As the country’s only flour mill, NAMILCO produces over 37,000 tonnes per year, which includes close to 10 million small packages of the popular varieties available in the Thunderbolt and Maid Marian ranges.
In 1986, when the mill resumed production, until 2004, the Government of Guyana entered into an arrangement with the US Government to receive wheat under the PL480 programme.
This programme benefited the agricultural sector, as NAMILCO bought the subsidised wheat from the Guyana Government at market price and these funds went to upgrading agricultural projects such as farm to market roads, drainage and irrigation and sea defences.
Guyana has not benefitted from this programme since 2004. National Milling Company buys commercial quality wheat from the USA and Canada.
It was pointed out, nonetheless, that the company continues to be involved in projects to improve local communities and the lives of Guyanese, with participation in projects ranging from the government subsidy programme to bringing economic relief to consumers last year, to the sponsorship of a wide range of sporting events and contributions to charitable organisations throughout Guyana
Over the years much investment has been made in improving the efficiency of the mill and improving the quality of the flour produced.
Some of the notable steps that have been part of the improvements are the retooling of the mill in the mid 1990s, increasing the milling capacity by 20 per cent and wheat storage capacity by 27 per cent.
NAMILCO currently produces 18 different products in nine package sizes, and in the last decade, the company has focused on creating flour-based premixes that includes the popular Maid Marian Roti Mix and Pholourie Mix.