Agriculture Ministry donates excavators to Albion/Port Mourant Estate

The Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday donated three excavators to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to further aid in the rehabilitation of the Albion\Port Mourant estates.

Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, MP, commissioned the hydraulic long tail excavators at GuySuCo’s Head office at the La Bonne Intention Estate. He said the donation is in keeping with the Government’s efforts to rehabilitate and reopen the sugar estates.

“I want to recommit the Government’s position that we are working aggressively, working in a phased plan to reopen the closed sugar estates.”

Minister Mustapha said GuySuCo has contributed to the development of Guyana since the country gained its Independence, as such the Government will continue to make critical investments in the organisation.

“Sugar has made the most contribution in all the wealth we have today, is as a result of sugar, is as a result of GuySuCo. GuySuCo use to be the single, largest employer of persons in our country.

“Now we are seeing once again, investment in GuySuCo and we have to continue to invest in this critical sector, we have to ensure as I said, improved production, but at the same time, look at the social benefit that GuySuCo brings to these communities.”

He said many of the initiatives put in place by the Government are to ease the burdens of the ordinary Guyanese. These included the farmers’ flood relief, ‘Because We Care’ cash grant, which saw every child in the public school system benefitting from $19,000; and the COVID-19 $25,000 cash grant.

Meanwhile, GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer, Sasenarine Singh said that the last time the Sugar Industry was fortunate to have equipment of this kind was some seven years ago.

Mr. Singh said GuySuCo has built a capital program on which the organisation will function over the next five years.