As neighboring Guyana makes notable progress expanding regional agricultural exports, a major Surinamese agribusiness is calling attention to costly delays in its own plan to launch large-scale commercial farming, warning the nation is missing a critical opportunity to boost food security and claim a share of the Caribbean market.
Lionel Blokland, director of Braganza Marketing Group NV, told local media outlet Starnieuws that his firm has spent more than four years trying to move forward with a large-scale maize and soy production project in partnership with Mennonite farmers, but is still waiting for clarity and formal support from the Surinamese government. The project, planned for development in the Tibiti and Kabalebo regions, would target both domestic demand and potential regional export opportunities, aligning with a broader regional shift toward cutting import dependence and boosting local food production.
Blokland pointed to Guyana’s recent milestones as proof of the untapped potential Suriname is leaving on the table. Last week, Guyanese Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha announced the country had officially launched maize and soy exports to Barbados, marking a key milestone in the nation’s strategy to cut reliance on imported food and position itself as a leading regional agricultural supplier. The shift is already delivering tangible economic benefits: Guyana saves an estimated $40 million annually by reducing imports of these core commodities and their derived products, government data shows.
Guyana’s agricultural expansion has already reduced national imports of high-demand fresh produce including cauliflower, lettuce, bell peppers, broccoli, and carrots by roughly 90 percent, and the country is now working to scale up domestic onion production to cut onion imports as well. It has even ended imports of bananas from Suriname, a shift that underscores rising competition within the Caribbean’s agricultural sector. Blokland noted that Guyana has rapidly emerged as the de facto breadbasket of the Caribbean, and argued Suriname holds the same potential to scale domestic output and capture a significant share of the regional market.
“Our goal is to supply the Surinamese people and local manufacturing sector with food products, and export any surplus – we shouldn’t have to rely on neighbors or Barbados to meet our own needs,” Blokland explained.
Local communities in Suriname’s Sipaliwini district have publicly thrown their support behind the project. Earlier this week, Blokland joined representatives of the Witagron community as they submitted a formal petition to the national government and National Assembly, urging officials to back the partnership between Braganza, Mennonite farmers, and local residents. Petition organizers highlighted the project’s potential to create new local jobs, upgrade regional infrastructure, and drive inclusive economic growth for local communities, while emphasizing the project will fully comply with all national regulations including mandatory environmental impact assessments.
The petition will be debated in parliament, according to NDP parliamentary leader Rabin Parmessar, who noted he was still awaiting key project documents from the firm. Blokland pushed back on this claim, confirming that Braganza has already shared all required documentation with Parmessar, and says the company stands ready to provide any additional materials that may be requested to move the process forward.
For Suriname, the stakes of the decision are high, Blokland emphasized. A green light for the project would strengthen the nation’s food security, support domestic industrial development, and create new revenue streams through regional exports. With neighboring Guyana already moving aggressively to capture regional market share, Blokland says the Surinamese government cannot afford to delay the project any longer.