Lesbeholden facility expected to begin operation before the end of the year following rehabilitation

Following a visit by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha to the Guyana Rice Development Board’s (GRDB) seed paddy facility located in Lesbeholden, Black Bush Polder in Region Six, last April, the facility is expected to come into use within a few months for the first time after being commissioned in 2008.

During the visit last April, Minister Mustapha expressed disappointment after learning that the facility was never put into operation. Minister Mustapha had said, given the millions of dollars that were invested to ensure the facility was outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and the government’s plan to double rice production by 2025, it was important for the GRDB to ensure the facility was up and running.

While speaking with members of the media during a tour of the facility today, Minister Mustapha said that with the upgrades to the facility, the GRDB will be able to improve its capacity to produce more seed paddy. He also disclosed that the Government of Suriname had made requests for Guyana to supply them with seed paddy.

“The refurbishing has started. The generator and all the motors are working. The bin is clean. In another two months, this facility should be in operation. We’ll have more capacity in the GRDB to produce seeds. Now we are seeing a lot of interest being expressed by Suriname for the supply of seed paddy. During the recent visit by the Surinamese delegation, a request was made for us to provide almost 130,000 tonnes of seed paddy. At the MMA Scheme, too, we’ve brought a second seed facility into operation there so that we can improve the capacity. When the PPP government makes a commitment, we deliver. This is a testimony to the commitment made when I visited this facility earlier in the year,” Minister Mustapha said.

Approximately $25 million was expended to carry out the infrastructural upgrades to the facility so far.

During the visit last April, Minister Mustapha said it was important for the facility to become operable because there was now a high demand for quality seed paddy from farmers.