Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha on Friday turned the sod for the construction of a $1.6 billion state-of-the-art Paddy Drying and Storage Facility at Onderneeming, Region Two, marking another major investment in Guyana’s rice industry.
The fully automated facility, sourced from Turkey and designed to European standards, will feature three modern silos with a combined storage capacity of 10,000 metric tonnes, two tower dryers capable of drying approximately 1,000 tonnes of paddy daily, four wet storage bins, and a modern intake and cleaning system.
Minister Mustapha said the investment will directly benefit approximately over1,500 rice farmers by reducing post-harvest losses, improving storage and drying capacity, protecting farmers’ livelihoods, and ensuring that their hard work is not lost due to inadequate infrastructure.
The contract was awarded to 4N Hardware Stores Inc., with construction expected to be completed within one year.
NDIA Chairman, Mr. Lionel Wordsworth, disclosed that approximately 10 acres of land are being developed for the project, with additional space reserved to facilitate future expansion.