Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud said the $174.4 million modern rice seed facility in Berbice is expected to be up and running in time for the first crop next year.
According to Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Persaud inspected the facility during a recent visit to the Number 56 Village.
In his address to the media Senior Engineer in the Agriculture Sector Development Unit Frederick Flatts, who was on site, said the facility is 40% completed. It has the capacity to produce 20,000 bags of seed paddy per year and will house a number of mechanical and electrical equipment, a scale house and a laboratory for rice grading.
“There is the office…. The trucks with rice seed will go to the back; where there will be a hopper to take the paddy to be cleaned and then to the dryer and warehouse where the final work will be done,” Flatts said. A device will also be fitted to the facility to control the noise it generates.
GINA said the contract was for 10 months however, when it has been constructed there will be a defect liability period of 12 months.
