With the goal of reducing its food import cost by 25% in the next two years, Suriname is well on its way to becoming the food center for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), with Barbados poised to become a significant buyer of Surinamese goods.
Speaking at a ceremony following Surinam Airways’ first trip to Barbados on Wednesday, the country’s minister of agriculture, Parmanand Sewdien, stated that Suriname was on course to reach its necessary goals.
- Advertisement -
According to him, Barbados would get 10,000 kg of agricultural products every week via aircraft operated by Surinam Airways from Paramaribo.
“We know food security is an issue in the Caribbean, and all the heads of state agreed amongst themselves to reduce our import bill of food by 25 per cent in two years’ time,” Sewdien stated that 800 million people globally suffer from hunger, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization.
“Three countries in the Caribbean – Belize, Guyana and Suriname – have the opportunity to be the bread basket for the Caribbean and we are working on it.”
Sewdien said, acknowledging the early difficulties the project encountered: “We went around and had discussions with the farmers. It took us approximately fifteen months to complete the pest risk assessment and to understand all of the phytosanitary laws.
“And finally, about two months ago, we got the approval from Barbados for 12 products which we can start to export. And we are doing all the preparation work right now to train farmers.”
According to the agricultural minister, Suriname’s state-owned carrier also contributed to the resolution of the significant logistical problem: “Surinam Airways came right on time [to facilitate the exports].”
According to Sewdien, Suriname has been shipping more bananas to Barbados over the last several months in order to make up for shortages of various fruits and vegetables.
He claimed that the amount of bananas being shipped has grown from one to two containers, and that the CARICOM country that speaks Dutch will keep sending additional products, including passion fruit, dragon fruit, watermelon, pumpkin, ginger, and lemons, to the island by sea.
He said that a group of Surinamese will be coming to Barbados for Agrofest 2024, bringing a range of items to exhibit.
