CGX deepwater port can boost rice export – CGX Executive Chairman

The CGX deepwater port being developed in Berbice is being touted as an avenue to boost the exportation of rice. This will in turn put more disposable income in the hands of rice millers.

This was the view expressed by executive chairman of CGX, Professor Suresh Narine as he provided an update on the project at the International Energy Conference and Expo. Dr. Narine said Berbice produces about 30 to 65 per cent of the rice grown in Guyana, noting that it takes about 20 hours for grains to get to the city, putting rice millers at a disadvantage.

He said the port will ensure that grains are handled safely and rapidly. This will be facilitated through a multipurpose terminal being developed at the port with a 2023 completion date.

“Part of a component of this port will be purpose built to ensure that grains can be handled rapidly, safely and can be quality controlled at the port so that pricing as a function of quality can be done seamlessly,” the chairman stated.

He also disclosed that talks are advancing with a consortium in Brazil to get rice exported from Guyana into the country. He said the route from where the port is located is one of the shortest into Brazil.

“It was not by design, but it has become a great focus of the port to look at grains,” he said about the construction of the port.

Additionally, he said the multipurpose terminal will also cater for containerised traffic. He pointed out that containers heading to Berbice have to go to the Georgetown port and then by road into Regions Five and Six.

“So, we have looked at a radius from our port to better service those consumers with containerised transport mainly as a way of reducing the cost to those consumers and as a result, a small component of the cargo side of the port will be focused on containerised traffic,” he stated.

The construction of the deepwater port the executive chairman said is advancing well without any major hiccups.

In December 2021, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali commissioned a bridge linking the access road leading to the deepwater port.

The four-day energy conference which culminates on February 18 is being held under the theme ‘Charting a sustainable energy future.