NAMILCO hosts baking seminar

By Stabroek News On In Guyana News |
From left: Maximillian Bresslauer, Larry Taylor, Affeeze Khan, Yvonne Supeene, Lisa Nemeth and Autamaram Lakeram at the launch of NAMILCO’s baking seminar yesterday.
From left: Maximillian Bresslauer, Larry Taylor, Affeeze Khan, Yvonne Supeene, Lisa Nemeth and Autamaram Lakeram at the launch of NAMILCO’s baking seminar yesterday.

The National Milling Company (NAMILCO) yesterday announced the launch of a baking seminar aimed at “optimising the quality of baked goods” produced locally using “high quality” Canadian wheat.

From left: Maximillian Bresslauer, Larry Taylor, Affeeze Khan, Yvonne Supeene, Lisa Nemeth and Autamaram Lakeram at the launch of NAMILCO’s baking seminar yesterday.

An estimated 40 bakers, including noodle and pasta manufacturers, are expected to attend the seminar, which will be held at Boodram’s Bakery, Enmore, East Coast Demerara tomorrow.

“We have seen the need to enlighten the local manufacturers and have invited a team from the Canadian Wheat Board and from the Canadian International Grains Institute to conduct a baking seminar and to visit a few bakeries,” Bert Sukhai, Managing Director of NAMILCO, said in a statement. Speaking at a press conference in the company’s boardroom at Old Road, Agricola, Marketing Consultant Affeeze Khan said, “The market share is great for us…we will continue to make it great and improve our service and we are lucky to have the technical support,” referring to the Canadian team.

The Canadian team is made up of Maximillian Bresslauer and Lisa Nemeth of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB), Larry Taylor and Yvonne Supeene from the Canadian International Grains Institute (CIGI) as well as Peter Harsveld, NAMILCO’s Operations Manager and Baking Specialist.

All expressed their willingness to share their skills with the local bakers here. Khan pointed out that the seminar is not “to go to the bakery to try to and change a concept…you either make a friend or you lose a friend.”

The workshop is expected to be an interactive one with the bakers and facilitators.

Taylor said 80% of Canada’s wheat is exported and boasted that it was “the best and safest in the world.” He also noted the “unique local system” in Guyana and said he was looking forward to working with NAMILCO.

NAMILCO, a certified ISO company, produces bakers and household flour, speciality mixes and health products.

It recently entered the CARICOM and Northern Brazil markets. According     to Finance Controller Autamaram Lakeram, export of flour to Brazil started with 600 bags and has now grown to 2,200 bags per week. The major hurdle to sending flour to Brazil was the road system, which Khan said should be crossed by October.