60 contractors vying to build Regional Food Hub

Jul 28, 2024 News

Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Agriculture through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will soon begin construction of the Regional Food Hub along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

Sixty contractors have since applied for the contract, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) revealed recently during the opening of tenders.

Phase two of the project entails the construction of the foundation and external works for the food hub. The project is estimated to cost $625,205,400. The project began last year with phase one costing some $187 million. For phase two, the government engineer estimates that it would cost $625 million for the construction of the foundation and external works.

The NDIA will oversee the project which aims at supporting Guyana’s role in enhancing the Caribbean’s agriculture through the Regional Food Hub.

Last year, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha disclosed the government’s plan to establish the Regional Food Hub, at an event that was attended by the President of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Mohammed Sulaiman.

“We want this Guyana here to be the food hub. The primary production hub of the Caribbean so that we could supply the Caribbean. What we have, our colleagues in the Caribbean, don’t have. We have arable flat land and abundant fresh water. Now with the investment coming on board, we can modernize the infrastructure, and start ramping up of the productions,” the minister stated.

Minister Mustapha had underscored that Guyana is looking to play a lead role in reducing the Caribbean’s food import bill by 2025. He noted that Guyana will work with the State of Roraima in Brazil to form a partnership in the development of the Hub.

Moreover, Senior Minister within the Office of the President Dr. Ashni Singh said the government has been in discussions with the Prime Minister of Barbados about sourcing inputs from Northern Brazil and transporting them through Guyana to Barbados and vice versa.

“We see the Regional Food Hub as very much a regional initiative…as a piece of infrastructure that will contribute to a more efficient market for agricultural products, across the entire Caribbean and Northern South America,” Dr. Singh had said.

He noted that this will also give rise to the growing logistics industry in Guyana moving goods, services, and people. The project will be partly funded by the government.

Below are the companies and their bids:

Ministry of Agriculture

Construction of foundation and external works for food hub Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Construction, National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA, project, Regional Food Hub, Soesdyke-Linden Highway

Latest News