$ 20M budgeted for the rehabilitation of the Black Bush Polder seed drying facility
By Malisa Playter-Harry
The seed drying facility for re-establishment.
The generator.
Minister Mustapha engages with RPA President Leka Rambridge at the facility.
NAREI building that will also be stable.
Kaieteur News – Built in 2009, a seed drying facility at Lesbeholden, Black Bush Polder, Berbice, has been abandoned since its inception. During a tour of the facility last Saturday, team-mate Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha observed that the structure was overgrown with vines and grass. Dust and cobweb were also abundant.
The Minister described the dilapidated structure as “very disappointing” even as he pointed out that “it was not implemented.” He expressed shock at the state of the facility’s dryer, processing plant and generator.
Following his assessment of the facility, Minister Mustapha directed that the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the Rice Producers Association (RPA) work together to identify the cost of “bringing the facility back.”
Some $ 20M has been budgeted to carry out restoration work on the facility, the Minister revealed. “I want this facility to come into use because we are getting a lot of calls now about paddy seeds. For the last year we have launched a new variety of seedlings, the GRDB-16, which are in high demand. ”
The people on the Corentyne, the Minister said, will need that paddy and will need such processing facilities. “If you look around, GRDB is doing their field of experimentation and there’s a part of what we did in Burma that they’re doing here, the bio-fortified rice. That is a very important variety of rice because it has many health benefits, it has zinc in it (and) other health benefits, so we are now in the probationary period, ”said the Minister.
With optimism he said, “… this time when we reinstate it, we can get it for the benefit of the farmers and the RPA will play a role in achieving it.”
He also noted that the National Institute of Agricultural Research and Extension (NAREI) will have to be “more aggressive” in the work it does. “If you look at the building there (a building next to the seed drying plant), the building is taken over by vines which is why the former CEO, he should have seen (to him) that these things are in better condition. When you go around the country here are the things we find now, I went to Timehri, 63 and other nurseries and its shocking to see some things I see. “
According to the Minister, he has asked the new CEO operating at NAREI, Jagnarine Singh, to oversee plans for the building. “I want this building to be cleaned, in good condition and we can have someone living here to look after these facilities,” said Minister Mustapha.
An estimate of the work to be completed is expected as early as next week, this announcement has been announced.
There is currently one active seed drying facility in Berbice (Region Six). It is located in Village No. 56. In addition, the District currently has six seed drying floors, with three located at Black Bush Polder and one each in Bengal Village, No. 56 and Crabwood Creek.