Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center (ATDC) in Suriname

In June 2017, a Chinese team of agricultural experts visited Suriname to survey the area of Wanica for the building of an Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center (ATDC).

Chinese financing has been pledged with agency participation from the Suriname Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Fisheries; Deputy Directorate for Agricultural Research, Marketing and Processing (ODLOAV); and the Deputy Directorate Livestock (ODVEE).

Although the Suriname Ministry of Agriculture lists China as the funder, the specifics of the financial body or terms are unclear.

With the initial investment of $350,000 USD (although the Share4Dev source states only $350) and total budget of $10.4 million USD, field visits and stakeholder meetings took place, which concluded that there was potential for a demonstration center to accommodate new technology, experiments, and training.

In the project proposal, the center will include a greenhouses, packing house, aquaculture hatchery/nursery and is projected to finish in 2022. In addition, 33 hectares have been identified for the demonstration center in Tawajari-polder in the Wanica District. Page 81 of the Suriname 2018 Annual Plan (Jaarplan) indicates there is still continued cooperation on this project.

A feasibility study is also to be conducted in 2018. An article published by GFC Nieuws in September 2019 provides one of the most recent updates to this project.

In this article, it is noted that an agreement was signed by Chinese Ambassador to Suriname Liu Quan and Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Fisheries Rabindre Parmessar earlier that month regarding the construction of the Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center. It is not known the exact date on which this agreement was signed or what precisely this agreement entailed.