Suriname says it is developing a programme that would allow the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country to resume exporting sopropo to the European Union.
The European Union has restricted imports of fresh sopropo (bitter melon) from Suriname due to risks posed by the Thrips palmi pest. Introduced around 2019, this ban on certain plants and plant parts impacts a significant portion of Suriname’s agricultural exports.
To resume exports, Suriname must implement strict, EU-approved phytosanitary measures to prove the fruit is free from the pest. Priot to the ban, sopropo accounted for as much as 35 per cent of Suriname’s fresh produce exports vole to Europe.
Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister, Mike Noersalim, said that the programme is being developed to overturn the ban that had been imposed on the country for several years after it was found that the sopropo had been infected with thrips (insects).
He said that the new initiative has already been discussed with vegetable exporters and ther stakeholders including the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Tourism and the Ministry of Justice and Police.
‘Suriname’s success as an exporting country depends on all the stakeholders involved in this process,’ Noersalim said the discussions with the stakeholders addressed issues not only related to phytosanitary matters but also organizational aspects.
He said the new policy is aimed at accelerating the development of the agricultural sector and increasing the export of agricultural products. The intention is to continue regular consultations with vegetable exporters, not only to discuss bottlenecks but also to arrive at concrete solutions where possible.
‘It is a process and requires a new way of thinking. But we are not shying away from the challenges surrounding vegetable exports,’ Noersalim said.