A new $1.6 billion mixing plant that will significantly improve productivity and the quality of flour at the National Milling Company of Guyana (NAMILCO) was commissioned at its Agricola, East Bank Demerara factory on Wednesday.
President Dr Irfaan Ali joined the management and staff of the company for the historic event.
The company’s Managing Director, Roopnarine Sukhai said the facility paves the way for more storage of wheat and flour. It is a massive investment from the Seaboard Corporation of the USA, which NAMILCO is a subsidiary of.
The facility can hold sufficient quantities of flour at any given time. This means that in the event of a shortage or downtime, efficiency and productivity of flour reaching all parts of the country is possible.
“The primary components of the mixing plant include a massive mix capable of 20,000 kilograms of flour per hour, state-of-the-art ingredient feeders for the added and flour silos, we can store 700 metric tons of flour.
“This additional flour storage capacity can assist us in providing flour in the event of an extended downtime,” the Managing Director said.
NAMILCO sources its wheat exclusively from the U.S. and Canada because it hopes to produce flour that takes less time to adjust to the user’s baking or cooking needs.
Part of its advancement is that the plant can be operated remotely, which means that it will be controlled via a mobile application that is accessible from anywhere.
Meanwhile, Sukhai is excited for the much-anticipated Gas to Energy project to come on stream. This, he said, will significantly reduce energy costs. In this regard, President Ali said the project is only one of the many initiatives by the government to make business more efficient in Guyana.
He explained that new areas for investment are available and encouraged SEABOARD to consider these markets as it expands flour production here.
“We are now moving to the position of being our own producer of corn and soya. Now, this brings a business opportunity for you and this is where we want SEABOARD to sit with us and see how we re-engineer what you do because if Guyana becomes the prime destination for our own production of corn and soya…then we can have a major facility here that then drives up into the CARICOM market,” the Head of State said.
NAMILCO is a household name that understands the need for this precious commodity. Over the years, the management has worked to overcome challenges such as wheat shortages and increased fuel costs brought on by the Russia/Ukraine war and even flooding in Guyana. It was among the first set of companies to become ISO-certified.
The company’s constant strive for excellence was commended by the United States Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot. She said NAMILCO’s expansion through its partnership with SEABOARD will promote food security and employment for many persons.
“The partnership is an impressive example of how US companies can work with Guyanese to strengthen and diversify the economy and promote food security in Guyana and region and create well paying high-quality jobs for Americans and Guyanese alike,” the Ambassador said.
President Ali and Ambassador Theriot also commended the company for showcasing its confidence in the economy by investing heavily.
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