With Guyana lacking the capability to fully support international markets with rice, the industry will soon benefit from a multi-million-dollar soil testing lab at the University of Guyana (UG) Tain Campus, Berbice. This new initiative will help farmers to make better judgment of the soil. Nand Persaud and Company Limited recently donated $40M to start the project.

Signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last Thursday evening at the Pegasus Hotel was the Company’s Managing Director, Ragindra Persaud, and Principal of UG, Professor Ivelaw Griffith. The CEO of the Company said that studies have proven that soil testing plays a critical role in the production of all crops, since soils are necessary for the various produces. The soil laboratory will help farmers all across Guyana to be better able to make the right judgments when it comes to the soil and what it needs, rather than guessing.

He added that the lab will assist the farmers to make scientific decisions on what fertiliser to apply to the soil. Persaud said that after the soils are tested, one would know what deficiency the soil has and the farmers will replace that. The farmers will also reduce the spending on fertilisers cost since they will know the right and adequate amount they have to apply to the soil. Persaud told the audience that farmers should be looking in the direction of reducing cost, especially in the rice industry since the demand for rice is on the rise.

He added that Guyana exports an average of 500,000 tonnes of rice annually. He reminded about the Cuban and Mexican rice deal; the countries import some one million tonnes of rice annually.
The equipment for the soil lab will be supplied during the first part of the New Year, according to Persaud.

Article adapted from: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2017/12/02/nand-persaud-invests-40m-in-ug-tain-campus-for-soil-testing-lab/