The Ministry of Agriculture yesterday inked over $340m in contracts including three for the purchase of equipment for GuySuCo.
A statement from the ministry said that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) signed three contracts totaling $183.7m. The contracts were clinched with GENEQUIP for the supply and delivery of eight disc-ploughs, six trailing harrows, and ten four-wheel drive agricultural tractors. Five of the tractors will be used for mechanical tillage operations while the other five will be employed for operating mechanical rotary drain-ditchers, the release said.
Additionally, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) signed a contract with Farm Supplies Limited for the procurement of a tractor and a fuel bowser totaling $10,146,000. This tractor, the release said, will be used to advance agriculture in Region Nine.
Ele’s Trading & Hard-ware also concluded a contract with the NDIA for the supply of irrigation pipes totaling $10,254,147. These pipes will be used to supply fresh water to around 25 farmers in Mountain Foot/ Yawong Village in Region Eight.
A&S General store formalised two contracts with the NDIA totaling $45,949,100 to execute empoldering works on farmlands along the Mani-curu and Dredge Creek area, Upper Pomeroon, Region Two.
Khan’s Construction and Transportation Ser-vices Inc. also secured a contract with the NDIA totaling $25,597,800 to carry out rehabilitation works on the drainage and irrigation channels in Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara. Zeebo and Sons Construction also clinched three contracts totalling $35,050,730 to carry out rehabilitation works on the drainage and irrigation channels in Cane Grove.
GENEQUIP also signed a contract for the supply of tillage implements at a sum of $29,910,000.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said that some of the contracts relate to requests made to President Irfaan Ali during a recent flood-assessment visit to Region Two. He also said that a series of works will be done in Region Eight to assist farmers with improving their production.
“During a recent flood-assessment visit to Region Two, the President committed to doing some empoldering to avoid future flooding. Contracts for those works will be signed today. Contracts will also be signed for projects in Region Eight. These projects include a number of irrigation works to assist farmers with accessing water for their cultivation. Also, there are some critical works to be done in certain areas that were affected by the recent flooding. Several drainage and irrigation structures will also be rehabilitated under these contracts. Persons would’ve made requests for these works and as a government, we remain committed to ensuring we address the needs of the citizens,” Mustapha said.
He also urged contractors to ensure works are carried out according to the specification in order to reflect positively on the lives of the beneficiaries.
Mustapha said that the machinery being procured by GuySuCo forms part of the government’s plan to revitalize the sugar sector.
