Annual Report 2016 IICA Delegation in...

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture Delegation in Suriname

Annual Report 2016IICA Delegation in Suriname

Annual Report 2016IICA Delegation in Suriname

AcronymsADRM Agricultural Disaster and Risk ManagementAHFS Agricultural Health and Food SafetyAPP Agricultural Policy ProgrammeBACIS Bio-agriculture Cooperative of SurinameBIS Bauxite Institute SurinameCANROP Caribbean Network of Rural Women ProducersCARDI Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development InstituteCARICOM Caribbean CommunityCELOS Center for the Development of Agriculture in SurinameCFF Carambola Fruit FlyCOP21 21st Conference of the PartiesEDF European Development FundEU European UnionFAO Food and Agriculture OrganizationFF Family FarmingFonTC Competitive Fund for Technical Cooperation (IICA)GAP Good agricultural practicesGCCA Global Climate Change AllianceGDP Gross Domestic ProductGoS Government of SurinameIABA Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IICA)ICS IICA Country StrategyIDB Inter-American Development BankIICA Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on AgricultureIMF International Monetary FundJBI Jamaican Bauxite InstituteLVV Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and FisheriesMDGs Millennium Development GoalsNGO Non-Governmental OrganizationOAS Organization of American StatesSBA Stand By AgreementSDGs Sustainable Development GoalsSMEs small and Medium-sized EnterprisesSPS Sanitary and PhytosanitarySUNRWP Suriname Network Rural Women ProducersSURAFY Suriname Agricultural Forum for YouthUN United NationsUNDP United Nations Development ProgrammeUSD United States DollarUWI University of the West Indies

Table of Contents

Acronyms 4Forward 6Message from Director of Management and Regional Integration 7Message from the Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (LVV) 81. Introduction 92. Executive Summary 113. The State of Agriculture and Rural Life in Suriname in 2016 13

4. Results of the Implementation of the National Technical Cooperation Agenda in Surinamefor 2016 16

4.1 Productivity Enhancement for the Agriculture Sector 164.1.1 Building Sustainable Agriculture Practices for the Hinterland 164.1.2 Value Chain Assessment of the Rice Industry 16

4.1.3 Support human capacity development to help indigenous groups to transitionfrom shifting cultivation to permanent agriculture 17

4.1.4 Support women and youth groups in obtaining certification for their products 18

4.1.5 Strengthening Infrastructure for germplasm production Under Component 2 ofthe 10th EDF APP. 19

4.1.6 Linking Agro-processing SMEs to Markets 194.1.7 Improving Food Safety Standards and Productivity for Women-owned SMEs 204.1.8 Promoting Permapiculture Technologies for Bee Keepers 20

4.2 Strengthening of AHFS Systems 214.2.1 Developing National Contingency Plan for Aquatic Animal Disease Outbreak 214.2.2 Carambola Fruit Fly (CFF) Sensitization Workshop 21

4.3 Organizational Strengthening of Producer and Rural Organizations 224.3.1 Support for the Establishment of Agro Cooperatives 224.3.2 Resuscitation of CANROP Chapter in Suriname 234.3.3 Creating Visibility for Rural Women Producers 23

4.3.4 Strengthening outreach models for youth agricultural organizations in Suri-name 24

4.3.5 Strengthening Associative Processes for Agro-cooperatives 244.4 Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change 25

4.4.1 Agricultural Disaster and Risk Management (ADRM) workshop 254.4.2 Strengthening Knowledge Capacities in Soil and Water Management 254.4.3 Closure of the UNDP-Biofuel Project 25

4.4.4 Knowledge Management Workshop for National Authorities on the Rehabilita-tion of Mined-Out Bauxite Land 26

4.4.5 Promoting Renewable Energy Generation in Suriname Forum 275. Strategic Alliances with Partner Agencies in Development 286. 35 Years of Service to Agriculture and Rural Life in Suriname, 1982-2016 307. Tribute to Brahma Ramsoedit, Driver and Field Assistant 33

IICA Suriname Annual Report 6

Forward

As the new Representative to the Inter- American Insti-tute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in Suriname, itis my distinct pleasure to present our 2016 Annual Re-port. The Report is in keeping with the Institute’s ethosof transparency and accountability to our stakeholdersand partners in our common pursuit of developing a sus-tainable agriculture and rural sector in the country.

Although the main aim of the report is to highlight theInstitute’s major achievements and interventions imple-mented in the rural and agriculture milieu for the year2016, it is being prepared at a historic time. October ofthis year 2017, will mark the 75th Anniversary of thefounding of IICA, and coincidentally, January 29th, 2017marked thirty-five years since the formal opening of theIICA Delegation in Suriname. So there is much to cele-brate in this historic year.

The volatility in global prices of commodities has negatively impacted the economy of Suriname in2016 and the agriculture and rural sectors have not escaped the negative impacts. However, fromthis adversity have emerged a renewed focus on the agriculture sector and the many advantages itpresents for import substitution, boosting regional trade, food security and increasing rural employ-ment. These challenges and opportunities formed the driving force behind, as well as shaped thetechnical cooperation interventions and significant achievements for the year 2016.

We wish to express our renewed commitment to all stakeholders in the agriculture and rural sectorsand pledge to continue to provide technical cooperation and leadership in developing and promot-ing sustainable models of agriculture and rural development for Suriname. In this regard, we wouldlike to recognize the role of our principal partner, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry andFisheries (LVV), as well as international organizations, and private and public agriculture and ruralservice provider agencies, in making 2016 a successful year of implementation.

Let me also take this opportunity, on behalf of the Director General of IICA, Dr. Victor M. Villalobos,to extend our gratitude to the Government and People of Suriname, other public and private stra-tegic partners, our past IICA Representatives in Suriname, past and current staff of the Delegation,and all others who have collaborated with us over the last thirty-five (35) years to bring tangiblechanges to the agriculture and rural milieu of Suriname. We look forward to continue our strongworking relationship in the future.

Curt D. DeliceIICA Representative in Suriname


Message from IICA’s Director of Management and Regional Inte-gration

The current environment poses the great challenge ofmaking agriculture more productive and sustainable toguarantee the food security of its inhabitants. This chal-lenge is accompanied by other phenomena such as cli-mate change, rural-urban migration, aging farmers,price volatility and the economy slowdown.

Within this context, IICA has worked in its 34 MemberStates through the articulation with public, private andinternational institutions for the benefit of rural com-munities and agriculture for 75 years at the hemispherelevel and 35 years in Suriname.

IICA during these 35 years in Suriname has supportedthe agricultural sector and the country's institutionswith the aim of improving the conditions of the ruralsector. Currently, the institute develops technical coop-eration actions under the 2014-2018 Medium Term Planand its four instruments of action: Flagship Projects,Rapid Response Actions, Technical Cooperation Fundand Projects with External Resources.

In this regard, I would like to reiterate the Institute's commitment to support technical cooperationactions in the country, especially those related to the great challenges the 21st century agricultureis facing. In Suriname’s case, we consider the efforts in two important aspects:

The diversification of the agricultural sector for import substitution, increase exports to the re-gion and increasing rural employment as a direct response to the current economic crisis facingthe country.

Strengthening Public Sector Institutions and other agriculture and rural service provider institu-tions for improved service delivery to agriculture and the rural milieu.

The alliance between IICA and the Suriname Government has paid off over the last 35 years, so I amsure that joint and articulated work will allow us to promote a competitive and sustainable agricul-ture in the country.

Diego MontenegroIICA’s Director of Management and

Regional Integration


Message from the Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, AnimalHusbandry and Fisheries (LVV)

I hereby wish to convey to the Director General, Dr. Vic-tor M. Villalobos of the IICA the best wishes and con-gratulations on its 75th Anniversary this year, on behalfof the Government of the Republic of Suriname, and es-pecially the agriculture and rural community within mycountry. During these 75 years, IICA has contributedthrough a variety of initiatives to agricultural develop-ment and improvement of the wellbeing of the ruralcommunities in the Western Hemisphere.

Suriname has been very fortunate to have benefittedfor over 35 years from IICA’s significant expertise in theform of the implementation of various programs aimedat developing the agricultural sector with a focus on re-mote and rural areas. Agriculture has been identified inthe Development Plan of my country as one of the mainpillars of sustainable socio-economic development bysubsequent Governments.

IICA’s mission: “to encourage, promote and support efforts to achieve agricultural development andrural wellbeing through technical cooperation”, also is fully in line with the goals of the Governmentand my Ministry which your organizations has proven to be an excellent development partner.

Given the difficult socio-economic circumstances, Suriname is currently experiencing, the agricul-tural sector more than ever, needs to fulfill a greater role in the economy in order to amongst others,guarantee food security amongst the Surinamese population, It is the Government’s and in particu-lar my Ministry’s responsibility, to actively cooperate with our main developing partners as IICA, toimplement programs aimed at increasing the contribution of the sector to Suriname’s national in-come. And I am convinced that with IICA further support and technical expertise, employment andsustainable income, food security, self-sufficiency for a large part of the economically active popu-lation especially for the more vulnerable communities in the remote and rural areas in guaranteed.

It is therefore that we recognize once again, the impressive achievements of the Director General.Under its leadership, we have witnessed over the past years truly remarkable flexibility and respon-siveness of IICA to the many challenges facing the development of agriculture in our region and inSuriname.

I wish for further cooperation with IICA, and I may assure you of the continued support of my Min-istry in achieving our mutual goals with regard to developing the agricultural sector.

I thank you!

His Excellency, Soeresh AlgoeMinister in the Ministry of Agriculture,Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (LVV)


1. Introduction

The year 2016 was characterized largely bycontraction in the Surinamese economy andrising inflation which undoubtedly created achallenging environment for agriculture andrural development since a lot of effort wasplaced at the government level in reigning incost and stabilizing the economy. Agriculturenonetheless was seen as a strategic sector toboost sluggish economic growth particularly asit relates to import substitution and retainingvaluable foreign exchange through a reductionin imports of agricultural commodities, and tocreate employment in rural communities. Thishas led to the Government of Suriname pro-moting and supporting major agricultural di-versification initiatives as well as the develop-ment of a Master Plan for the development ofthe agriculture. The latter seeks to strengthenthe policy framework for the development ofthe agriculture sector in Suriname.

The main areas of focus for the strengtheningagriculture and the rural sector during the yearremained on the establishment of critical infra-structure in the agriculture sector, buildingknowledge and technical capacities of nationalauthorities and agriculture and rural serviceprovider agencies as well as communities,value chain development, promoting techno-logical innovation in agriculture, strengtheninggovernance and institutional managerial andoperating systems of public and social actorsrepresentative institutions and organizations,strengthening agricultural health and foodsafety systems, and strengthening agriculturaland rural information systems, promotingknowledge and adaptation strategies to the ef-fects of climate change.

These focused area above were framed withinthe lens of the broader challenges and risksposed to the agriculture and rural sectors fromclimate change, and the urgent need forgreater awareness and promotion of naturalresource management.

The programme of work implemented duringthe year, was guided by the IICA Country Strat-egy (ICS) for Suriname which is based on thestrategic objectives and institutional functionsand contributions as enunciated in its MediumTerm Plan 2014 – 2018 and IICA’s StrategicPlan 2010 – 2020, which are the precise andoperational expression of the Institute’s cross-thematic and multi-level work in each of itsmember countries.

IICA’s strategies in the countries contributes tobetter coordination with the stakeholders ofagricultural chains and rural areas, and tobuilding consensus regarding IICA’s technicalcooperation delivered through its technical co-operation instruments.

Thus, IICA’s country strategies encompass allthe Institute’s planning and actions at the dif-ferent levels, mainly in the form of pro-grammed projects. In constructing these strat-egies, IICA takes into account not only the in-ternational vision of the global or hemisphericphenomena or trends related to agricultureand rural life, but also the baseline studies ofthe countries and the results of national dis-cussions to identify cooperation needs at alllevels of work.

To achieve its technical cooperation mandate,the Institute utilizes four technical cooperationinstruments, Flagship Projects1, projects exe-cuted with external resources, an internalcompetitive fund for technical cooperationprojects (FONTC), focused mainly on pre-in-vestment initiatives, finally the Rapid ResponseActions designed specifically to address spe-cific request from member countries emanat-ing to take advantages of emerging opportuni-ties or address emergency situations.

The technical cooperation agenda of the Insti-tute relies on the establishment and mainte-


nance of strategic alliances with public and pri-vate sector institutions including academia,civil society organizations and communitybased organization, individual agriculturalpractitioners and rural communities. A criticalarea of focus remains the vulnerable demogra-phy of youth and women and many interven-tions were aimed at working jointly with theorganizations which support rural women pro-ducers and which promote youth engagementin agriculture to strengthen their governanceand operational capacities as well as their ca-pacity for advocacy and involvement in deci-sion making at the national level. Issues relat-ing to climate change and particularly the risksand risk mitigation strategies to strengthen re-

silience remains a central theme in engage-ment with strategic partners and also guidedimplementation of the 2016 technical cooper-ation agenda.

The report contained herein, provides a briefsynopsis of the contribution of IICA to the de-velopment of agriculture and rural life in Suri-name in 2016. The interventions are largely inresponse to the priorities agreed upon by theGovernment of Suriname and IICA as con-tained in the ICS for Suriname. The resultsachieved highlight the combined efforts of pri-mary stakeholders in the agriculture sector andstrategic partnerships in agriculture and ruraldevelopment in Suriname.

1 IICA currently executes four Flagship Projects design to holistically cover its key thematic areas. The projects are thefollowing: Productivity and Sustainability of Family Farming for Food Security and the Rural Economy; Competitivenessand Sustainability of Agricultural Chains for Food Security and Economic Development; Inclusion in Agriculture andRural Areas; Resilience and Comprehensive Management of Environmental Risk for Agricultural Production. Agricul-tural Health and Food Safety is a cross cutting theme of the four projects.


2. Executive Summary

The contraction of the Suriname economy ob-served in 2015, continued in 2016 and contin-ues to have a deleterious effect on all sectors,including the agriculture sector. Notwithstand-ing, this situation has strengthened the resolveof national authorities to accelerate the devel-opment of agriculture sector, as means of re-ducing agricultural imports and stimulatingemployment especially in rural communities.Investment if the agricultural sector however isstill lagging behind other sectors and externalgrant funding sources represented the mainsource of development financing for the sec-tor. The promotion of initiatives for the diver-sification of the agricultural stemming from theAgricultural Master Plan augured well for thesector and boosted public confidence in thesector. These dynamics presented the contextfor the implementation of 2016 IICA’s technicalcooperation agenda for Suriname.

In 2016, IICA’s interventions encompassed alarge number of themes and attempted to ad-dress many different technical cooperationneeds in the country. The first group of inter-ventions were aimed at enhancing the produc-tivity of the agriculture sector for food security,increased export (local and regional) potential,and increasing insertion in and expansion ofnew and existing markets for agricultural com-modities. The activities were directed at build-ing the capacity of communities in the hinter-land of Suriname to adopt sustainable agricul-tural practices and systems, and particularly asit relates to the transitioning from traditionalshifting cultivation production systems tomore permanent agriculture production sys-tems. These actions also included for the firsttime exposing Beekeepers in Suriname to

Perm-apiculture technologies through the useof the Perone Hive technology, under the IICA’sFamily Agriculture Flagship Project.

Under the IICA’s Inclusion Flagship Project, anumber of interventions were implemented tosupport women and youth groups in obtainingcertification for their products and also promo-tion of organic agriculture certification tar-geted at specific niche markets. The 10th EDFAgriculture Policy Programme (APP), played amajor role in 2016, facilitating interventions tolink Agro-processing SMEs to markets, improv-ing food safety standards and productivity forwomen-owned SMEs and strengthening labor-atory infrastructure of CELOS for the produc-tion of improved germplasm to farmers.

The second group of actions for 2016, were fo-cused on strengthening national agriculturehealth and food safety systems. The key inter-ventions were facilitated under the 10th EDFSPS programme, and included the develop-ment of a national contingency plan for aquaticanimal disease outbreak, as well as two majorassessments looking at the national agricul-tural health and food safety systems and also acost benefit analysis of the agricultural healthand food safety mechanism in the country. Un-der IICA’s Resilience Flagship Project, a jointsensitization activity was conducted betweenSuriname, Guyana and Brazil, looking at theeconomically important Carambola Fruit Flyand a viable strategy for its surveillance andcontrol.

The existence of strong organizations is a ma-jor pre-requirement to any effective strategyto develop the agriculture and rural sectors,


particularly in economies where private sectorinvestment in these areas are low. A majorgroup of actions in 2016 were aimed at the or-ganizational strengthening of producer and ru-ral organizations as a deliberate strategy of theInstitute. Within this context, through IICA’s In-clusion Flagship project, several agro-coopera-tives received training and support to establishand/or register their cooperatives.

Within that same vein, during the year, the Su-riname Network of Rural Women Producers(SUNRWP) was resuscitated with seven clustergroups representing just over 200 rural womenproducers. SUNRWP later hosted a major fo-rum for rural women producers during theyear to highlight the contribution that ruralwomen make to the economy of Suriname andto create visibility for its members and theirproducts.

Another major area on intervention during theyear was aimed at engagement with the Suri-name Agriculture Forum for Youth (SURAFY) todevelop outreach models for youth in agricul-ture. The activities included, training to fosternetworking of its members, strengthening itsgovernance and outreach, and promoting agri-culture in primary and secondary schoolsthrough demonstration training and field trips.The emerging issue of climate change re-mained a major focus during the year with in-terventions aimed at building resilience in theagriculture and rural sectors of Suriname.

Under IICA’s Resilience Flagship Project, Suri-name and Guyana, in collaboration with theUnited Nations Development Programme(UNDP) in Suriname, undertook a joint train-ing activity looking at ADRM for the two coun-tries and the strengthening of capacities forthe creation and use of risk maps and webbased risk maps technologies at the nationallevel. Activities were also directed during theyear at building local institutional capacities insoil and water management, particularly as itrelates to degraded soils.

This year also saw the formal closing of theUNDP Biofuel Project which sought to assessthe feasibility of producing three endemicgrass species for rehabilitation of mined outbauxite lands and for biofuel production.Linked to the Biofuel project, two majorknowledge management interventions wereundertaken, one looking at transferring to na-tional authorities the experiences of Jamaicaand the Jamaica Bauxite Institute in the reha-bilitation and management of mined-out baux-ite lands, and the other, through collaborationwith the Suriname Business Forum, the UNDPand the Ministry of Natural Resources, lookedat the promotion of renewable energy genera-tion in Suriname and the exploration od viableapproaches for a viable industry in the country.


3. The State of Agriculture and Rural Life in Suriname in2016

The economy of Suriname is largely dependenton exports of extractives of aluminum, gold,bauxite and petroleum. The decline in globalprices for these commodities has had a delete-rious effect on the Suriname economy and theeconomic contraction deepened during 20161,and has impacted all sectors, including the ag-riculture sector. The country’s GDP stood atUSD 5.77 billion according to the figures fromthe Central bank of Suriname in 2015.

The current economic challenges facing thecountry has steered the GoS towards seekingexternal help in the form of an InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF), Stand By Agreement(SBA) estimated at US$748 million, the mainaim being to stabilize the national economyand establish the foundation for a futuregrowth trajectory. The austerity measures orconditionality’s which normally accompanysuch IMF interventions is sure to have implica-tions for the agriculture and rural sectors in thenear, medium and long term future.

Agriculture, fishing and logging contributes arelatively small share of gross domestic prod-uct (GDP), averaging 5-7% annually when com-pared to the 80% from the extractive industriessuch as, bauxite, oil and gold, and 14 percentfrom manufacturing. Over the last decadealone, the direct agricultural share of the GDPhas decreased from 11% to 5.8%. Notwith-standing, agriculture accounts for at least 8%of the employed labour force in the country.Much of agriculture contribution to GDPcomes from rice and banana production,shrimp and fish exports amounting to about

1 The International Monetary Fund Concluding State-ment of the 2016 Article IV Mission, projected a 9%following a 2.7% contraction in 2015.

US$ 40-50 million per year (10-12% of total ex-port earnings) and lumber amounting to about1% of export earnings.

Rice accounts for about half of all cultivatedlands and is a major export to CARICOM mem-ber countries. However, even with the adapta-tions made to the Cotonou agreement in 2010to meet new challenges and address State fra-gility, continued low productivity, high inputcosts, and a growing debt-service burden willplace significant pressure on the industry’s sur-vival capacity and threaten the livelihoods of alarge number of small producers, agriculturalworkers and their dependent communities(CARICOM Agricultural Development Profilefor Suriname).

The Central Bank of Suriname shows total ex-ports standing at USD295.60 (a record low)million in the first quarter of 2016 decreasingfrom USD339.90 million in the fourth quarterof 2015. Exports in the country have averagedUSD703.32 million between 2008 and 2016reaching an all-time high of USD 2084.10 mil-lion in the fourth quarter of 2010. Gold ac-counts for the lion’s share of the value of theseexports.

The main imports for the country are food,fuel, clothing and machinery with UnitedStates and the Netherlands being the main im-port partners and accounting for approxi-mately 42% of total imports between them. Su-riname like many of its Caribbean counter-parts, continues to grapple with a high food im-port bill and is a net importer of agricultural


products. In 2015, imports of agricultural prod-ucts was approximately 10% of the total importvolumes of the country. Figures released bythe Central bank of Suriname show improve-ments in the total import situation decreasingto USD318.60 million (a record low) in the firstquarter of 2016 from USD443.40 million in thefourth quarter of 2015. However, it is not cer-tain if this trend will be sustained in the nearfuture. Imports into the country have aver-aged USD599.99 million from 2008 until 2016,reaching an all-time high of USD1406.70 mil-lion in the fourth quarter of 2008. The govern-ment of Suriname has also expressed its com-mitment to more than triple the contributionof agriculture to the GDP from its current 6%and to transforming Suriname into a regionaland hemispherical breadbasket over thelifespan of this strategy. Guided by the Agricul-tural Master Plan, the new vision for agricul-tural development as espoused by the Ministryof Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheriesis one which seeks to reduce the large food im-port bill through import substitution, but alsoexpand national agriculture sufficiently to sup-ply regional markets with a wide range of cropand meat products.

The vast natural resource base of the countryprovides avenues for economic growth and de-velopment, the recent declines in global pricesfor gold and bauxite has had severe negativerepercussions on the country’s financial stand-ing, although prices for gold has begun to trendslightly upwards, it is too early to regard thistrend with any long term optimism. The mainstate-owned Bauxite Company SURALCO hasbeen forced to shut down operations furtherexacerbating the economic situation in thecountry and in particular rural communitieswhich relied on mining operations for employ-ment. The start-up of major gold mining oper-ations of Newmont Mining Corp in the lastquarter of 2016, is expected to offset the de-cline in the economy and bring some measureof economic stabilization.

The isolated nature of indigenous communities(Amerindian and Maroon ethnicities), who typ-ically reside in the interior of the country farremoved from major commercial distributionand marketing channels exacerbates the chal-lenges of boosting economic activity in the ru-ral communities. However, the country havingbeen denominated as one of the greenest onthe planet, has enormous potential for diversi-fication of the rural economy from traditionalhunting gathering and shifting cultivationmodes of production and livelihoods, to alter-native mainstream economic activities of agro-forestry, eco and agrotourism. The potentialfor accessing carbon credits for maintainingnatural forests can also likely become a poten-tial source of development finance for manyrural communities in the not too distant future.Climate change undoubtedly remains deemerging issue of our times and its impact onmany countries are well documented. The 21st“Conference of the Parties”, otherwise knownas COP21 accomplished a major milestone onthe subject of climate, and climate change inDecember 2015, where the world saw theadoption of the first international climateagreement (concluded by 195 countries andapplicable to all). The agreement provides fora limitation of the temperature rise to below2°C and even to tend towards 1.5°C. It is de-signed to be flexible so that it takes into ac-count the needs and capacities of each countryand seeks balance as regards adaptation andmitigation, as well as durability, with a period-ical ratcheting-up of ambitions. Suriname is asignatory to the COP21 Paris Agreement andthe Government has recognized that the coun-try is prone to the “slow onset impacts” of cli-mate change resulting in changing weatherpatterns, coastal erosion, salt water intrusion,the degradation of its complex ecosystems,and loss of arable land and has expressed itscommitment to place special focus on adapta-tion and mitigation policies. This changing pol-icy environment forced upon the country byclimate and its impacts has significant implica-tions for agricultural and rural developmentapproaches and strategies in the country.


Suriname has also expressed commitment tothe adoption and adherence to the pursuit ofthe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The UN adopted 17 Sustainable DevelopmentGoals at the United Nations Sustainable Devel-opment Summit in New York in September2015. These Goals replaced the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs) from the begin-ning of 2016. Whilst they continue the focus oneradicating poverty, they also include universal

goals of addressing unsustainable patterns ofconsumption and production, and protectingenvironmental resources. It is within this con-text that the strategic focus on agricultural andrural development will be guided for the com-ing years, which is aligned with IICA’s own stra-tegic objectives and as such sets down theoverarching framework for the delivery ofIICA’s technical cooperation agenda in Suri-name.


4. Results of the Implementation of the National Technical Co-operation Agenda in Suriname for 2016

4. 1. Productivity Enhancement for the Agriculture Sector

4.1.1. Building Sustainable AgriculturePractices for the Hinterland”

Communities in the interior of Suriname whereapproximately 10% of the population of Suri-name lives, have been successfully using thesystem of slash and burn for centuries. The sys-tem has provided food security for the popula-tion but is coming under stress because of theincreasing population and the effects of cli-mate change.

IICA has been providing technical support todifferent communities in the interior for years,but requests are increasing at a rapid rate fromdifferent communities for support in moving toa more permanent form of agriculture. The In-clusion Flagship Project provided the frame-work for continued support to rural indigenous(Maroon and Amerindian) communities tomake the move to more permanent agricul-tural production systems.

In addition to a number of direct technical sup-port interventions to build capacities of the af-fected populations in sustainable agriculturalpractices, IICA also collaborated with the Cen-ter for the Development of Agriculture in Suri-name (CELOS) to organize and host a workshopaimed at improving legal frameworks to facili-tate the development of sustainable agricul-ture in the hinterland of Suriname. Fifty repre-sentatives from rural organizations, NGO’s,representatives from the Ministry of Agricul-ture, Animal Husbandry and fisheries, the Min-istry of Regional Development, the Ministry ofTrade and Industry and different institutions

from agriculture education and research dis-cussed intensively and gave recommendationsabout the required policy, collaboration, ca-pacity enhancement, development of valuechains, financing and programs needed toachieve the goal of sustainable Agriculture inthe hinterland of Suriname.

4.1.2. Value Chain Assessment of the RiceIndustry

A producer and rural assessment of the rice in-dustry in Suriname was made. Suriname’s riceindustry with an average area of 70.000 ha peryear has seen some challenges with risingprices for inputs, leaving the small farmerswith a lot of problems. The IICA office received


a request from the Ministry of Agriculture, An-imal Husbandry and Fisheries to support themin organizing the rice value chain. A rapid par-ticipatory assessment was conducted by theIICA Delegation in Suriname targeting, rice pro-ducers, Public sector institutions and rice pro-cessors and distributing companies in the mainrice growing center of Nickerie.

The need for productivity enhancement, re-duced costs of production, higher yielding vari-eties, improvement in the existing state run ir-rigation infrastructure, expansion of marketsand general improved organization of the ricevalue chains were the major findings. The wan-ton burning of tons of rice husks leading to sig-nificant carbon emission into the atmosphereafter the annual harvest is a major concern asviable alternatives exists for the production ofbiofuel, soil conditioners, bio fertilizers, etc.

4.1.3. Support human capacity develop-ment to help indigenous groups totransition from shifting cultivation topermanent agriculture

The IICA Delegation collaborated with theNGO “Stichting wan Mama Pikin” and the Min-istry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry andFisheries (LVV) to conduct rapid rural assess-ments in several maroon villages in the UpperMarowijne River. Because of the gold rich de-posits in the area there is an influx of small goldminers and recently the establishment of alarge mining company employing at least 1500workers.

This development has increased the marketpotential for their produce adding to the al-ready lucrative market in French Guyana. Tra-ditional shifting cultivation production systemsof the indigenous maroon peoples who inhabitthe area, are inefficient and cannot meet thedemands on these emerging markets. The vil-lagers that are part of the indigenous Maroonsin Suriname cultivate crops mainly for subsist-ence using slash and burn methods.Under the Inclusion Flagship Project, followingthe assessments, training workshops wereheld for sustainable and more permanent agri-


culture systems in the village Nason. Approxi-mately 40 men and women participated in theclassroom and practical sessions. Irrigationand rainwater harvesting practices were ofparticular interest to many of the participants.In relation to this also in 2016 a meeting washeld with ten NGO’s, cooperatives and groupsof farmers and producers was held in the east-ern district of Suriname Marowijne. The objec-tive of this meeting was to bring all the groupsactive in this district for increasing collabora-tion in order to make better use of the scarceresource.

4.1.4. Support women and youth groups inobtaining certification for their prod-ucts

In Suriname the cultivation of different cropsusing organic practices has been growing in thelast years. This increase is due to the increasingdemand for organic products on the local mar-ket as well as on the foreign market. The IICADelegation is continuing support to womenand other producer groups to increase capacityin different aspect of organic production. Thefollowing activities for women cooperativestook place in 2016:

training workshop in theory and practice ofOrganic Farming - twenty-five (25) mem-bers of the Bio-agriculture Cooperative ofSuriname (BACIS), who are focused mainlyin the cultivation of chili peppers, weretrained in the practices of organic farming,organic inspection and certification, soilfertility and organic fertilizers, preventionand maintenance and control of pest anddiseases.

Plant propagation and nursery setup - Fifty(50) participants of two (2) rural Agro-Co-operatives in the Maroon communities ofOvia olo and Moengo (District ofMarowijne) and Creola and one (1) ruralyouth group from the district of Saramaccawere able to improve their knowledge andskills in plant propagation and nurserysetup. In collaboration with a local experton plant propagation the group wastrained on two different occasions innursery setup and management and thepropagation of citrus and mango.

Cost of Production and Production Plan-ning - Members of three rural farmer or-ganizations received training in cost of pro-duction and production planning. Forty fivewomen and men from the districts of: Sara-macca, Marowijne, Wanica and Para partic-ipated.


4.1.5. Strengthening Infrastructure forgermplasm production Under Com-ponent 2 of the 10th EDF APP

The Centre for Agricultural Research in Suri-name (CELOS) received support to refurbish itstissue culture facility. In addition CELOS wasalso able to purchase tools and equipment fordisinfecting its agricultural machinery, formore efficient handling of phytosanitary labor-atory and field operations. These tools andequipment were also utilized in trainingdemonstrations for banana and cassava farm-ers in the Brokopondo, Kapasikele, Saramacca,Phedra and Powakka districts to teach trainfarmers in the use of mass propagation tech-nologies and management of improvedgermplasms for their crops.

4.1.6. Linking Agro-processing SMEs toMarkets

A number of interventions under the 10th EDFAPP were aimed at supporting MSMEs in link-ing to and effectively taking advantage of avail-able markets for their products:

Several agro-processors from three localorganizations were facilitated in participat-ing at the largest agriculture fair in Suri-name hosted by the Chamber of Com-merce to display and promote their line ofproducts. Participants were from Bio-agri-culture Cooperative of Suriname (BACIS),foundation for the Development of theCassava Sector (STOCKPA), and the Agro-cooperative “Wi Uma Fu Sranan”, a member cluster of SUNRWP.

Representatives from CAFAN Suriname andAgro-cooperative “Wi Uma Fu Sranan”,participated in a one-day regional work-shop on producer group governance andnational producer –buyer networking heldjointly by Component 2 and 3 of the 10thEDF APP, in Saint Vincent and the Grena-dines. The workshop sought to buildknowledge capacities in group dynamics,


group governance, conflict resolution andnetworking.

Two local SME’s engaged in the agro-pro-cessing, Agro cooperative Wi Uma FuSranan and Blessings Enterprise were sup-ported and received training aimed at im-proving the design of packaging and label-ling for select their agri-food processedproducts. Training focused on product de-velopment, marketing, food safety andGMP. As a result of the training, these par-ticipants have to date made significant im-provements to the packaging and labelingof their products.

4.1.7. Improving Food Safety Standardsand Productivity for Women-ownedSMEs

Small scale women agroprocessors from tworural communities in the interior of Suriname,Klaaskreek and Kapasikele, received cassavagraters and smoke houses to facilitate theirprocessing activities, thanks to an initiative ex-ecuted by the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation of Agriculture under the Intra-ACPAgricultural Policy Programme (APP), fundedby the European Union (EU) under the 10th Eu-ropean Development Fund (EDF).

The women are members of the Agro-Cooper-ative “Wi Uma Fu Sranan”, which means inEnglish, “We, the Women of Suriname”. Thegroup is a constituent member of the SurinameOrganization of Rural Women Producers (SUN-ROP). The donation of the two cassava gratersand the construction two smoke houses, oneeach for the two communities, is in keepingwith the objective of improving the quality andstandard of processed agricultural productsmanufactured by small and medium-sizedagro-processors for income generation andfood security.

4.1.8. Promoting Permapiculture Technolo-gies for Bee Keepers

Under the Family Agriculture Flagship Project,the Delegation facilitated the participation ofone local Bee Keeper in a training workshop onperm apiculture utilizing the Perone Hive tech-nology, held in St. Lucia and facilitated by Dr.Manuel Sanchez, IICA’s Representative in Gua-temala. The training sought to increase theknowledge base of Honey Producers in produc-tion and management of honey in perm apicul-ture systems as opposed to the traditionalLangstroth apiculture system.

The main aims here are reduction of losses,product differentiation, increased productivityand developing more sustainable bee keepingapproaches. The Suriname participant, is utiliz-ing his training to build and replace his oldhives with the newer Perone Hives which hebelieves is more suitable to Suriname condi-tions.


4. 2. Strengthening of AHFS Systems

4.2.1. Developing National ContingencyPlan for Aquatic Animal DiseaseOutbreak

Under the 10th EDF SPS Project, IICA in collab-oration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ani-mal Husbandry and Fisheries through its De-partment of Fisheries developed a NationalContingency Plan to for the establishment ofemergency preparedness procedures foraquatic animal disease outbreak.The Plan provides national authorities andother stakeholders in the aquaculture industrywith guidelines to respond potential diseaseoutbreaks. The aquaculture industry is an im-portant component of Suriname’s exports.

4.2.2. Carambola Fruit Fly (CFF) Sensitiza-tion Workshop

The CFF is a pest of major economic im-portance for Suriname, and the IICA Delega-tions of Guyana, Brazil and Suriname jointlyprovided technical support for the hosting of aone-day sensitization workshop in Guyana tofacilitated knowledge exchange and dialogueon the actual status of the CFF in Guyana, Suri-name and Brazil. The workshop was financedunder the Resilience Flagship Project, the Gov-ernment of Guyana and the Government ofBrazil. The workshop also reviewed a draft pro-posal for a South-South Cooperation Project toaddress the strengthening of the systems forjoint CFF surveillance and control.


4. 3. Organizational Strengthening of Producer and Rural Organizations

Farmer and producers in rural communities inSuriname have been reluctant to setup pro-ducer groups and cooperatives in Suriname fol-lowing bad experiences and weak organiza-tional capacity of the few organizations activein the sector. In the past years however, therehas emerged increased interest in setting upfarmer and producer groups.

This is also a priority of the Ministry of Agricul-ture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries andthrough its Department for Cooperatives, col-laborated with the IICA Delegation to supportfarmer and producer groups in organizationalstrengthening. The organizational strengthen-ing of producer and rural organizations is a keyelement to facilitate the inclusion of rural ter-ritories into mainstream commercial market-ing and distribution channels.

The Inclusion Flagship Project enabled inter-ventions targeted at agriculture in the rural ar-eas in Suriname where most communities arecomprised of people from indigenous groupsboth Maroon and Amerindian populationsThese populations are largely excluded fromnon-agricultural forms of employment for avariety of different reasons.It is important to note that in rural communi-ties in Suriname women play a major role in ag-riculture and in Maroon and Amerindian popu-lations particularly, women undertake most ofthe farming while the men do the hunting.

The IICA Delegation in Suriname thereforeplaces special emphasis on strengthening or-ganizations representing the socioeconomicinterests of women and youth.

4.3.1. Support for the Establishment of AgroCooperatives

In 2016 the IICA Delegation provided supportto several different rural producer groups tostrengthen and/or establish agro cooperatives.These groups consisted of mainly women farm-ers and agro processors. The crops producedand processed include roots and tubers such ascassava and sweet potatoes, herbs, chili pep-per, and fruits. In collaboration with the Minis-try of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fish-eries, two rural communities namelyKwakoegron in the district of Brokopondo andVan Hattemweg in the district of Wanica, weresupported with the startup process of estab-lishment of Agro cooperatives. The first groupconsists of mainly women agro processors ofcassava, spices and acai (a local palm fruit),while the second group registered as a cooper-ative for livestock and organic farming. A totalof forty (40) women participated in trainingworkshops looking at cooperative governanceand group dynamics.


4.3.2. Resuscitation of CANROP Chapter inSuriname

In supporting the development of leadershipskills and strengthening governance modelsamong rural women producers a networkingsession was held for women representativesfrom seven rural women organizations fromvarious jurisdictions across Suriname to beginthe process for the revitalization of the um-brella body the Suriname Network of RuralWomen Producers (SUNRWP), the local chap-ter of the regional body Caribbean Network forRural Women producers (CANROP).

The participating organizations were: Agro co-operative Wi Uma fu Sranan, Agro cooperativeTranga Naki oema foe Marwina, Agro coopera-tive Tranga Naki Kwakoegron,Agro cooperativeWoko Makendi Oviaolo, Foundation JepiMakandra Apoera, Klein Powaka, Agrocooper-ative Lelydorp. The seven clusters has a totalmembership of over 200 women farmers, pro-cessors, and traditional craft and clothingwear. A new executive was established andthey collectively made the commitment to ac-tively participate in the activities of SUNRWPfor the benefit of their economic activities.

4.3.3. Creating Visibility for Rural Women Pro-ducers

The IICA Delegation in collaboration withSUNRWP hosted a women’s conference in2016. The purpose of the conference was toexpose the products produced by the variousclusters and to highlight to a national audiencethe contribution the contribution that ruralwomen make to the national economy. Theseven clusters which make up SUNRWP en-gaged in an exposition display of their line ofproducts, and participated in a motivationalseminar under the themes of the role of ruralwomen in the economy and the need to fosternetworking, organizational strengthening andadvocacy on behalf of women. Twenty-five(25) rural women agroprocessors participatedin the event. The feature address at the con-ference was delivered by the First Lady of Suri-name, Her Excellency Ingrid Bouterse-Waldring, who during her message encour-aged the women to continue working for theimprovement of the livelihoods of their fami-lies and also stressed the importance and con-tribution that women producers make towardsthe national economy of Suriname.


4.3.4. Strengthening outreach models foryouth agricultural organizations inSuriname

The Suriname Delegation supported the Suri-name Agriculture Forum for Youth (SURAFY), inimproving their organizational and governancecapacities through a series of seminars/train-ing sessions and workshops. The areas coveredincluded Project Proposal Writing and FundsProcurement, Traceability Training Forum, andsustainable agriculture systems for the Hinter-lands of Suriname. Through the Inclusion Flag-ship Project, SURAFY also received materialsupport to undertake the following: ; engage

new members to participate in the organiza-tions; undertake a school program for juniorhigh students from various schools in organicproduction of vegetables under protective ag-riculture structures and production of bioferti-lizers through composting; educational fieldvisits for SURAFY members to production facil-ities of Apiculture, Research Units of the Min-istry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and

Fisheries and commercial Protected Agricul-ture Facilities in Suriname. A total of forty (40)youth engaged in Agriculture benefited fromthese capacity building trainings, field visitsand facilities.Also, two youth Agri-entrepreneurs, membersof SURAFY, were facilitated under the 10th EDFAPP to participate in the Youth in Agriculture(YiA) Business Forum as part of the Dialoguefor Development (D4D) held in Grenada. TheForum targeted youth who own and operateagribusinesses and/or manage and play a vitalrole in a family-owned agricultural enterprise.The Forum enabled sharing of ideas, and expe-riences and networking among youth for busi-ness development at the regional level.

4.3.5. Strengthening Associative Processesfor Agro-cooperatives

Under the Flagship Project “Productivity andSustainable Family Farming”, one TechnicalSpecialist from the Suriname Delegation joinedcounterparts from St. Lucia, Jamaica, Ecuadorand Trinidad and Tobago at a workshop held inSaint Lucia, to undergo training aimed at devel-oping an internship programme for thestrengthening of local cooperative and pro-ducer organizations. The thrust of the newskills are to assist local cooperatives/producerorganizations to improve their organizationalgovernance, operations to create sustainabilityin their production and marketing in the coun-tries. The task for each representative countryselect an existing local Agro-Cooperative andlink it to another more advanced host Cooper-ative and apply a series of processes to transferexchange knowledge and experiences in lead-ership, commitment, identifying markets anddeveloping their local products. This programwill start in 2017.


4. 4. Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change

4.4.1. Agricultural Disaster and Risk Man-agement (ADRM) workshop

The IICA delegations of Guyana and Surinameunder the Institute’s Resilience Flagship Pro-ject and in collaboration with the United Na-tions Development Programme (UNDP) Officein Suriname hosted a three-day workshop onAgriculture Disaster and Risk Management tostrengthen technical capacities of public sectoragencies in the creation and use of risk mapsand associate technologies. The workshop fo-cused on the major risks common to Guyanaand Suriname, the effects saline intrusion,flooding, drought and pest and disease infesta-tion. Representatives from public sector agen-cies responsible for the environment, disastermanagement, agriculture hydrometeorology,research and public works agencies partici-pated in the training workshop.

4.4.2. Strengthening Knowledge Capacities inSoil and Water Management

Through a horizontal capacity building activitybetween IICA Jamaica and technical officersfrom the Ministries of Agriculture and RegionalDevelopment in Suriname, joined their coun-terparts from other CARIFORUM countries inJamaica to participate in a three-day training/course on degraded soils. The training/coursesought to equip soil technicians with the skillsto effective establish and manage pilot pro-

jects in their respective countries for the reme-diation of degraded soils. The participantsfrom Suriname have selected mine out goldmining areas with problems of mercury con-tamination to conduct their pilot studies.

4.4.3. Closure of the UNDP-Biofuel Project

The UNDP-Biofuel project was officially closedwith the IICA Delegation presenting the find-ings to key stakeholders. The main objective ofthe project was to conduct a feasibility study toinvestigate the agronomic conditions for theestablishment and growth of the selected grass


species, Pennisetum purpureum (elephantgrass), Gynerium sagittatum, and NappierGrass which is a variant of Pennisetum pur-pureum), on mined-out bauxite soils for thepotential production of biofuels. The Projectwas implemented in collaboration with theMinistry of Natural Resources and was fundedby the UNDP.

The study was able to determine that the bestcondition for the establishment of Pennisetumpurpureum (elephant grass and Napier grass)and Gynerium sagittatum on mined out baux-ite land involve the addition of NPK at mini-mum application rates per hectare of 40 kg ofnitrogen, 20 kg of phosphorus and 10 kg of po-tassium. NPK application rates of 80, 40, and20kg per hectare respectively produce the op-timum biomass, but importantly, the survivalof the plants on the mined-out bauxite soilsconditions depended on the addition of ferti-lizer.The accumulation of heavy metals in the spe-cies, Gynerium sagittatum rendered it as nei-ther a good candidate for biomass for energynor for animal feed in case alternative agricul-tural uses are required. These findings werealso communicated to rural communities inthe vicinity of the experimental site with theaim of ensuring a participatory approach andbuilding sensitization and awareness on the

potential future rehabilitation options formined-out bauxite soils in their communities.

4.4.4. Knowledge Management Workshopfor National Authorities on the Reha-bilitation of Mined-Out Bauxite Land

The Inter-American Institute for Cooperationon Agriculture in collaboration with the Baux-ite Institute of Suriname and the Jamaica Baux-ite Institute facilitated a knowledge manage-ment workshop to build sensitization andawareness of key stakeholders on availablepolicy frameworks and options for rehabilitat-ing and managing thousands of acres of mined-out bauxites lands in Suriname. The knowledgemanagement exercises focused on sharing theexperiences of Jamaica in the rehabilitation ofmined-out bauxite lands particularly as it re-lates to conditioning for agriculture, and al-lowed for the identification of the deficienciesin Suriname’s approached to the rehabilitationof their own lands. The 75 participants repre-sented from several key ministries, communitybased organizations, mining companies, edu-cational institutes and youth organizations par-ticipated in the open dialogue and identifiedand examined recommendations for the wayforward. .The event was funded under theUNDP Biofuel Project.


4.4.5. Promoting Renewable Energy Gener-ation in Suriname Forum

The IICA Delegation, the Ministry of NaturalResources and the UNDP in collaboration withthe Suriname Business Development Forumhosted a renewable energy forum under thetheme: Towards a Broader Approach for a Via-ble Industry in Suriname. The forum was de-signed to place the biofuel initiative within abroader renewable energy perspective for thecountry, particularly targeted at a getting theprivate sector’s involvement and leadership asthey the ones who will most likely be the keyinvestors in the development of a renewable

energy sector in the country. The Forum tar-geted a wide cross section of the public and pri-vate sector as well as international organiza-tions with expertise on the renewable energy.The workshop established some key short tomedium term recommendations and priorityactions which key stakeholder agenciespledged to work together and effort to achievethem. The representatives from 40 differentprivate companies and state agencies dis-cussed the development and the status of theenergy generation and distribution in Suri-name and the alternatives for of the genera-tion of renewable energy as a major industry.The emphasis was placed on the importantrole the policy makers will have to develop inorder to facilitate alternative energy sources.


5. Strategic Alliances with Partner Agencies in Development

ORGANIZATIONS AREAS OF INTERVENTIONS

1 Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandryand Fisheries

Collaboration on implementation of IICA Coun-try Strategy

2 EU-APP-SPS (European Union, AgriculturePolicy Program, Sanitary and PhytosanitaryMeasures)

Strengthen Agricultural Health and Food SafetyCapacities

3 SUNRWP (Suriname Network for RuralWomen Producer

Organizational strengthening and improvedgovernance of the network for rural womenproducers.

4 SURAFY (Suriname Agriculture Forum forYouth)

To strengthen the outreach models for youth inagriculture.

5 UNDP (United Nation Development Pro-gramme)

Biofuel Project: ‘Feasibility study of thecommercial production of biofuels fromdedicated biomass crops on mined-outbauxite lands in Moengo, Suriname.

GCCA Climate Change Adaptation Pro-ject: "Reducing Farmer Vulnerability toClimate Change Impacts through thePromotion of Climate Smart AgriculturalTechnologies in Suriname"

6 Ministry of Natural Resources Natural Resource Management/Renewable En-ergy

7 Eco2 System 2000 (NGO) Capacity building in Rural Communities

8 CELOS (Centre for Agriculture Research inSuriname)

10th EDF APP and Agricultural technology trans-fer


ORGANIZATIONS AREAS OF INTERVENTIONS

9 SBF (Suriname Business Foundation) Promotion of Renewable Energy

10 Ministry of Regional Development Collaboration on agriculture and rural develop-ment interventions in the Hinterland.

11 OAS (Organization of American States) Capacity building youth in agriculture

12 ADEKUS (Anton De Kom University of Suri-name)

Agricultural training for youth

13 NIMOS (National Institute for Environmen-tal Development in Suriname)

Environmental management and conservation

14 CAHFSA (Caribbean Health and FoodSafety Agency)

Agricultural Health and Food Safety

15 Inter-American System Group (OAS, PAHO,IDB, IICA, PADF)

Technical cooperation coordination

16 Donor Coordination Meetings (Select Em-bassies, UN Agencies, OAS agencies)

Donor coordination for development interven-tions


6. 35 Years of Service to Agriculture and Rural Life in Suriname1982-2016

On November 20th 1981, The Republic of Su-riname became a formal MEMBER of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agricul-ture (IICA). Shortly thereafter, on January 29th1982 IICA officially opened its office in Para-maribo, Suriname. The IICA Office in Surinameestablished and proceeded to strengthen vitallinkages among Suriname‘s Agribusiness sectorand that of the wider Caribbean as well asother countries in the Americas.

At the National level the IICA Office in Suri-name set out to assist Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations, the Universityand the Private Sector in their endeavors to de-velop agriculture and rural life in a sustainableway. It proceeded in doing this by a coherentservice of varied approached, including:

The sponsorship of research and studiesinto all aspects of crop and livestock pro-duction.

Training of farmers, agriculture extensionsofficers and technicians in various aspectsof improved technology and management.

The generation and transfer of improvedagricultural technologies.

The detection and diagnosis and design ofcontrol methods for animal and plant anddiseases.

Agricultural land rural development plan-ning.

Agribusiness project identification, designand implementation

Institutional strengthening and capacitybuilding of agricultural public and privatesector development organizations.

IICA Office, 1982 IICA Office, 2016


7. Tribute to Brahma Ramsoedit, Driver and Field Assistant

On December 31st, 2016, Mr. Brahma Ram-soedit retired from IICA. Born in 1951 in thecommunity of Kwatta in the District of Wanica,Suriname, he completed his schooling in thesame area. Prior to joining IICA, he worked atthe Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandryand Fisheries (LVV) in Suriname for two years.Although the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture IICA formally openedits Office doors in Suriname in January 1982, itwas in November of 1981 that Mr. Brahma was

hired, making him IICA’s first and longest serv-ing staff member in Suriname. In 35 years ofservice, Brahma has, as he puts it, “had thehonor of serving 8 different Representatives”.If you ask him who his favorite Representativewas, he diplomatically tells you, “I have no fa-vorite”. They were all honorable men who didgood things for Suriname”.

Mr. Ramsoedit’s job description was driver andas such he was usually the first in contact withnew Representatives, visiting dignitaries andother IICA staff members.

He performed many other job responsibilities,including field assistant to the technical spe-cialists, ensuring that the vehicles, building andoffice equipment were properly maintained,and the taking of stock on office supplies to en-sure that the office was always functional.Mr. Ramsoedit was always soft spoken, polite,and punctual to work, and displayed an excep-tional dedication and commitment to his workand in upholding the image of the Institute. Hewas a wealth of information on a number of is-sues, from this historical development of Para-


maribo and location of service provider agen-cies, real estate (which was extremely valuableto incoming representatives and staff), to localbank procedures, local languages, vehicle andsmall equipment performance and mainte-nance, and agriculture, since he was and re-mains an avid farmer, producing a wide rangeof vegetables and fruits.Mr. Ramsoedit has been married for over 43years to his wife Sieuwradjie and they have two

daughters, a son and three grandchildren. Hehas indicated that he has retired from IICA butnot agriculture. For us at the Suriname Dele-gation, it was an honour and a privilege to haveknown and worked with Mr. Ramsoedit. Hewill always remain part of the IICA family. Wewish him all the best in his farming and any fu-ture endeavor he may wish to pursue.


©Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on AgricultureDelegation in Suriname, PO Box 1895, Paramaribo, Suriname.

Tel: (597) 478187, Fax: (597) 410727Email: [email protected]

Website: www.iica.int/suriname

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