The Ministry of Agriculture says a physical stock count at GuySuCo’s Uitvlugt Estate found no discrepancy, as it pushed back against claims by Opposition MP Vinceroy Jordan that millions of dollars’ worth of agrochemicals had gone missing from the estate’s bond.
In a statement issued on Thursday, November 5, the ministry said the October 29 count was carried out jointly by the Stores Superintendent, the superintendent responsible for chemical weed control and security personnel. It said the checks are conducted every Thursday.
“There was no variance,” the ministry said, adding that the stock records are available.
Jordan had called on the Government, the ministry and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to “come clean” over the alleged disappearance. The ministry described the claim as unverified and said Jordan had produced no documents to support it.
According to the ministry, the bond operates under a dual-lock system that requires both stores and security personnel to be present before it can be opened. Herbicides for estate use are released after the Agriculture Manager approves an electronic requisition. Only one day’s supply is transferred at a time, and staff record how much is used and how much is returned.
The ministry said supplies are issued to cane farmers on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those transactions require signatures from four managers, including the Finance Manager and Estate Manager, before stores and security staff sign off on the release.
The ministry added that GuySuCo management has reminded security personnel to keep complete and accurate records and said any lapses in documentation would be dealt with administratively. It also said workers who raise genuine concerns would be protected from victimisation.
