New processing facility to adequately supply high-quality seed paddy to BBP farmers

As the Agriculture Ministry continues to vastly take the strain off of rice farmers through scores of initiatives, the newly commissioned $70 million Seed Processing Facility at Lesbeholden has the capacity to provide high-quality seed paddy for the entire cultivation area in Black Bush Polder, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
During the commissioning of the facility last weekend, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha highlighted that this facility was partially first established 10 years ago but later developed technical issues that were never addressed.

“We are completing a project that started in 2014. It was partially commissioned; we made a commitment that we will have this facility refurbished and we said that we will put new systems in place. For example, we now have new hoppers and we have a new area where the seed paddy goes so we have not only refurbished and technical faults but we have also added to the facility,” the minister stated.
Mustapha also mentioned that this facility will provide for all farmers within the Black Bush Polder environs.
“This facility will provide seeds for the entire Black Bush Polder community we have modernised and we have developed this industry because of the investments that we have made and because the rice sector is an important sector for us as a government and as a people,” he added stated.
Not only is the Government focusing on the production of seeds through this newly commissioned facility but they are also eyeing that farmers can have automatic markets for their paddies at a good cost, according to the agriculture minister.
“We will now also contract grower to grow quality seed paddy so that we can take it here so that you can have automatic market for your paddy at a good cost, so those are the kinds of things that we are investing in,” Mustapha stated.
During a demonstration at Saturday’s commissioning ceremony, the machine was seen to be producing hundreds of paddy seeds at rapid speeds.
The agriculture minister disclosed that the government is working to establish similar seed processing facilities in all the major rice-producing areas across the country. Additionally, he noted that the existing seed processing facilities at Anna Regina and Leguan in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) will undergo rehabilitation work.
Farmers have benefitted from almost nine high-yielding rice varieties for commercial production, which have also furthered rice productivity and sustainability.
This commissioning came at an important time for rice farmers.
Just recently, rice farmers have been experiencing a surge in Paddy Bug infestation.
Due to these and other direct investments and policies by the government, rice farmers are optimistic that they will surpass this year’s rice production target of 710,000 tonnes, as compared to 653,000 tonnes last year.
Already, over 360,000 metric tonnes of rice were produced in the first half of this year – exceeding the target for rice output.
To date, 68,000 acres of rice land are currently under cultivation in Region Six and Paddy bug infestation has been posing a Grand threat to rice farms as most crops are currently in the flowering stage.