Suriname’s abundant tropical timber reserves and existing processing capacity have long positioned the country to build a high-value domestic wood processing sector, but a new academic study from Anton de Kom University of Suriname (AdeKUS) reveals deep structural and systemic challenges that leave more than half of the nation’s raw roundwood exported unprocessed, squandering major economic potential.
The research, completed by Bachelor of Science graduate Sharvan Jagernath in the Faculty of Technological Sciences’ Forestry program, grew out of a 2022 analysis from the Suriname Foundation for Forest Management and Forest Supervision (SBB). That earlier study confirmed that Suriname’s installed processing capacity is more than sufficient to process all domestically harvested roundwood locally, making the persistent high volume of raw exports all the more puzzling. Jagernath’s graduation study, titled *Analysis of Constraints Within the Sawmill Industry for Phasing Out Raw Roundwood Exports*, set out to map the core barriers preventing full local processing of the national roundwood harvest.
To build a robust evidence base, Jagernath combined a comprehensive literature review with surveys of sawmills across three key Surinamese districts: Paramaribo, Para, and Wanica. The research also included in-depth interviews with stakeholders across the sector, including sawmill operators, raw wood exporters, and officials from the Plant Protection and Quality Inspection division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. Small sawmills operating only one mobile sawing unit were excluded from the sample, and several facilities listed in the 2022 SBB study had already ceased operations by the time data collection began, leaving a final study population of 35 operating sawmills.
The study’s findings paint a clear picture of overlapping structural constraints that have left available processing capacity drastically underutilized. At the facility level, core challenges include widespread gaps in technical knowledge of local wood species and advanced processing techniques, inefficient use of wood residues that could be converted into value-added products, outdated processing technology, limited infrastructure for secondary wood processing, shortages of skilled specialized labor, and inadequate storage and drying facilities for finished wood products. Combined, these issues drive significant production losses and keep overall roundwood utilization rates far lower than they could be.
Beyond operational inefficiencies, the study identified market access barriers that block sawmills from competing effectively in international markets. These include a persistent mismatch between the dimensions of wood products Surinamese mills currently produce and the requirements of global buyers, a narrow focus on just a small handful of popular wood species that leaves other commercially viable timber underutilized, inconsistent application of the oversize dimensions required for many export orders, and a lack of uniform sizing across domestic producers.
External systemic factors further weaken the sector’s competitiveness. Interviewees consistently cited unreliable power infrastructure, exorbitant energy and fuel costs, widespread logistical bottlenecks, and inconsistent supplies of high-quality raw roundwood as major ongoing hurdles. The research also notes that illegal unregulated logging practices, poor public sector support services, and the absence of pro-growth government policy have combined to create an unfavorable business climate for domestic sawmills. As a result, the sector’s massive potential — rooted in Suriname’s extensive forest resources and existing excess processing capacity — remains largely untapped.
To address these interconnected challenges, Jagernath’s study outlines a series of targeted actionable recommendations. Core priorities highlighted include public and private investment in upgrading energy infrastructure, supporting the transition to sustainable utilization of wood residues to generate additional revenue, supporting producers to identify and enter new niche export markets, promoting wider commercial use of lesser-known local wood species, expanding technical training programs for workers processing underutilized timber varieties, and upgrading general transport and processing infrastructure across the sector.
The research also emphasizes the critical need for strict enforcement of existing timber regulations to maintain Suriname’s access to the European Union market, which imposes strict sustainability requirements on imported wood. Additional recommendations include expanded incentives for timber concession certification to help producers access markets that require formal sustainability credentials, targeted interventions to resolve the sector’s skilled labor shortage, and expanded government support through measures such as tax incentives for processing investments and revised concession policies that encourage local value addition.
In his conclusion, Jagernath emphasized that the Surinamese sawmill industry can only unlock its full economic potential when long-standing structural barriers are systematically addressed, mills shift their operational strategy toward export-focused value-added production, and the government implements a consistent, pro-growth policy framework that supports domestic processing. Jagernath officially earned his bachelor’s degree at a defense ceremony on Friday, where his work was evaluated by a committee led by committee chair Professor L. Ori, with additional assessment from faculty and practice reviewer Maureen Playfair, MSc, and external reviewer Dr. R. Matai.
