BRI Stories | How Chinese are helping Suriname turn around its farming fortunes

An aerial drone photo taken on April 3, 2024 shows China-aided Suriname Agricultural Technical Cooperation Center in Saramacca District, Suriname. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin)

PARAMARIBO, April 15 (Xinhua) -- As the sun rises over the Saramacca District, the promise of pomelo season fills the air. In Ashwien Doekhi's orchard, a scene of abundance unfolds, with trees heavy-laden with ripe citrus fruits swaying gently in the breeze. Doekhi, his brother, and an eager team of workers dived into their harvest.

An aerial drone photo taken on April 3, 2024 shows China-aided Suriname Agricultural Technical Cooperation Center in Saramacca District, Suriname. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) Workers harvest grapefruits in Ashwien Doekhi's orchard in Saramacca District, Suriname, April 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin)

The story had been different in previous years, when Doekhi's family struggled to afford even basic agricultural tools, often borrowing money from friends and relatives.

In 2022, the China-aided Suriname Agricultural Technical Cooperation Center launched a technical assistance project, including 10 training sessions for over 300 individuals. Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi attended the launch ceremony. He saw China's technologies as instrumental in fostering high-yield, high-quality agricultural produce and vital for improving the livelihoods of farmers in Suriname.

Doekhi, a 26-year-old participant, lived a ten-minute drive from the center. Chinese experts visited Doekhi's fields almost every day and provided tailored advice at all stages of cultivation, from nurturing seedlings to applying fertilizer.

Doekhi started planting products like chili peppers, eggplants, and watermelons, sold both at local markets and to neighboring countries. Doekhi's crop yields doubled, and his annual income increased twofold.

"This initiative is so good; it helps us export agricultural products worldwide," said the young farmer, after having seen the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative directly benefit his community.

Ashwien Doekhi checks the growth of fruits in his orchard in Saramacca District, Suriname, April 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) Chinese agricultural experts and Ashwien Doekhi plant watermelon seedlings in Saramacca District, Suriname, April 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) Chinese agricultural experts and Ashwien Doekhi water seedlings in Saramacca District, Suriname, April 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) A Chinese agricultural expert (R) and Ashwien Doekhi check the growth of fruits in Saramacca District, Suriname, April 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) Ashwien Doekhi (C) poses for a photo with Chinese experts in his orchard in Saramacca District, Suriname, April 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin)

Suriname is among the first Caribbean countries to sign a cooperation plan within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative with China.

Jason Bakker, an official from the Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in Suriname, told reporters that local agricultural technicians travel two and a half hours each day to attend training sessions, and are eager to learn more about agricultural technologies from China. "We cooperate quite well with Chinese agricultural experts, sharing the same goals and working together," he said.

Su Lirong, a cultivation expert from China's Hunan Province, said that the cooperation center has won the trust and affection of local farmers who often seek advice from his team.

Suriname's government frequently invites Su and his colleagues to visit local farms and production sites for research and suggestions. "I feel like we have truly entered the hearts of the Surinamese people," he said.

Surinamese agricultural researcher Jan Jagnath believes that China's assistance to Suriname increases agricultural productivity and addresses food security concerns, and that Sino-Surinamese agricultural cooperation has "great potential and a bright future."

Ashwien Doekhi (1st L) harvests grapefruits in his orchard in Saramacca District, Suriname, April 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) This photo taken on April 3, 2024 shows local people taking agricultural class in the China-aided Suriname Agricultural Technical Cooperation Center in Saramacca District, Suriname. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) A Chinese expert teaches seedling planting in a greenhouse in the China-aided Suriname Agricultural Technical Cooperation Center in Saramacca District, Suriname, April 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin)