Rice farmers on the Essequibo Coast are expected to have greater flexibility over when they sell their paddy with the construction of a $1.6 billion drying and storage facility at Onderneeming, Region Two.
The Ministry of Agriculture turned the sod for the project on Friday. Expected to be completed within one year, the facility will be able to process approximately 1,000 metric tonnes of paddy daily and store 10,000 tonnes.
Speaking at the ceremony, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said the investment is intended to tackle recurring problems, including inadequate storage, lengthy waits at mills and low prices offered to farmers.
“We know for a fact that many times I come here, farmers always complain that Region Two farmers always receive the less price or the lowest price for paddy around the country,” Mustapha said.
He explained that during peak harvesting, the region’s existing facilities cannot accommodate the volume of paddy produced. This leaves some farmers seeking buyers outside the region or waiting for extended periods to unload at mills.
The new facility, he said, would give farmers an alternative to selling immediately, allowing them to store their harvest while awaiting more favourable market conditions.
“Either you take your paddy and sell it to the miller or bring your paddy here and store it if you don’t want to sell it,” Mustapha said.
The Minister recalled that Government had previously purchased approximately 70,000 bags of paddy when farmers struggled to find markets, intervening to prevent their produce from spoiling.
The Onderneeming project will occupy part of a 10-acre site, leaving room for future expansion. It will feature two dryers, four wet bins and equipment for receiving, cleaning and moving paddy. Temperature and carbon dioxide controls will help preserve the stored crop.
Operations will be monitored through a centralised control system, with remote monitoring also available.
4N Hardware was awarded the construction contract, while European company Superbrick will provide the engineering and equipment and oversee installation.
