(Kaieteur News) – The EU-Funded SFL programme in Guyana marked a major achievement, with the commissioning of a new portable sawmill facility, equipping the 164-member Upper Berbice Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd. (UBMCSL) to add value to its timber and strengthen its forest-based enterprise.

At the centre of the commissioning ceremony was the handover of an LT70 portable sawmill, valued at approximately G$18 million, along with close to G$4.7 million in joinery equipment, office supplies, personal protective gear, and other timber-processing tools.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the WWF – Guianas, “The investment is paired with training that UBMCSL members have completed since 2024 in reduced-impact logging, forest decision-making, and administration and record-keeping, along with support to finalise an operational and business plan to guide the sawmill’s day-to-day operations.”