Agriculture in Suriname
Encyclopedia
Agriculture in Suriname plays a secondary role in the economy, employing around 12 percent of the workforce. Only 0.4 percent of Suriname
's total land area is cultivable, with half of this devoted to rice production, which makes up around 10 percent of Suriname's total exports, with 180,000 tons produced in 1999. The banana industry also accounts for 2.5 percent of total export revenues, with 55,000 tons produced in 1999. Suriname also produces palm kernels, coconut
s, sugar
, plantain
s, peanut
s, beef
, chicken
and shrimp
. In the 18th century the production of coffee was of major importance under the Dutch colony but has gradually declined.
Since 1945, the Commission for the Application of Mechanized Techniques to Agriculture in Suriname has successfully brought new land under cultivation and redeveloped old plantations and improved the total agricultural production. Under union pressure, the government in early 1987 agreed to a national sugar plan to make production more efficient, and to create employment. The sugar industry is of major note in Guyana
, especially the operations of Guyana Sugar Corporation
since 1976, with 90,000 tons produced in 1999.
Fishing, especially for shellfish, is also important with wild-harvest shrimp accounting for US$29 million, or 6.7 percent of all exports in 1998 and the fishing industry overall creating annualls revenues worth US $40-50 million. In October 2000, the industry was disrupted when a ban was imposed on Suriname's aquaculture products because of high levels of toxic residues.
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
's total land area is cultivable, with half of this devoted to rice production, which makes up around 10 percent of Suriname's total exports, with 180,000 tons produced in 1999. The banana industry also accounts for 2.5 percent of total export revenues, with 55,000 tons produced in 1999. Suriname also produces palm kernels, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
s, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, plantain
Plantain
Plantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...
s, peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s, beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
, chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
and shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
. In the 18th century the production of coffee was of major importance under the Dutch colony but has gradually declined.
Since 1945, the Commission for the Application of Mechanized Techniques to Agriculture in Suriname has successfully brought new land under cultivation and redeveloped old plantations and improved the total agricultural production. Under union pressure, the government in early 1987 agreed to a national sugar plan to make production more efficient, and to create employment. The sugar industry is of major note in Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, especially the operations of Guyana Sugar Corporation
Guyana Sugar Corporation
The Guyana Sugar Corporation, best known by its acronym GuySuCo, is a Guyanese sugar company owned by the government. It is the country's largest cultivator and producer of sugar, a commodity which is responsible for approximately 20% of Guyana's annual revenue and 40% of all agricultural production...
since 1976, with 90,000 tons produced in 1999.
Fishing, especially for shellfish, is also important with wild-harvest shrimp accounting for US$29 million, or 6.7 percent of all exports in 1998 and the fishing industry overall creating annualls revenues worth US $40-50 million. In October 2000, the industry was disrupted when a ban was imposed on Suriname's aquaculture products because of high levels of toxic residues.