Last Updated on Sunday, 23 February 2025, 11:39 by Writer
The Dominican Republic-headquartered fertilizer company, Fersan, and the newly formed Guyana Fertiliser Inc (Guyfer) have agreed to establish a fertilizer blending plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara, to produce urea that is suitable for Guyana, an official said Saturday.
Guyfer Director, Komal Singh told Demerara Waves Online News that urea would be imported from nearby natural gas-rich Trinidad for blending at the $20 million facility, based on the specific soil types in Guyana with the aim of increasing crop yields. “We joined hands together so we can start blending fertilizer in Guyana with a view to ensure that we blend to meet the demand of respective farmers,” he said.
When the equipment, which arrived in Guyana last December, is installed by the end of 2025, he said the facility would produce specific blends based on soil types rather than have to depend on one blend for the entire market. “This will bring great benefit to the agriculture sector and the farmers in Guyana by increasing productivity per acre and also reducing the cost of fertilisation,” Mr Singh said.
The blending plant is expected to supply more than 60,0000 to 70,0000 metric tonnes of blended urea for use in the agriculture sector including the expanding rice, corn and soya farms. “That will go up significantly now that more rice is being planted…so the average consumption continues to rise in Guyana right now,” he said.
He noted that fertiliser prices had soared due to a shortage that stemmed from the Russia-Ukraine war because the latter country was a big supplier. The price of locally blended urea, he said, could be reduced but would still depend on the acquisition cost of the unblended product.
Singh said Guyfer was also positioning itself to build a more than $1 billion urea fertilizer manufacturing plant in Guyana to process ammonia from a natural gas liquids plant being constructed by government. When that plant comes into operation, he said the price of urea would definitely reduce. “As long as the urea plant is developed, you definitely see a better price for fertiliser in Guyana,” he said.
Fersan and Guyfer signed the partnership agreement on the margins of the just concluded Guyana Energy Conference.
“Our main motivation behind this initiative is to give farmers the opportunity to build themselves and level up into new tiers so as to be able to compete and stand out on the international stage with quality products, and modern and efficient practices.
One of our key priorities is also to partner with existing stakeholders, fostering a collaborative and inclusive approach to fertilizer supply in Guyana and in the region. By working together, we aim to streamline operations, enhance access to high-quality fertilizers, and elevate service standards. This unified approach aligns with the government’s vision to establish Guyana as a leader in food security and agricultural innovation,” the partners said in a statement.
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