– agri and other exports to resume
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud yesterday met with his Surinamese counterpart, Dr Karamchand Ragoebarsingh, and the Commissar of Nickerie B. Shankar, in Nickerie, Suriname, to discuss that country’s recent closure of unofficial river crossings.

According to a release, following the discussions, the Surinamese authorities have agreed that from today the backtrack border crossing will be opened to people, goods and certified agri exports.

The release said Persaud welcomed the development and restated Guyana’s commitment to collaborate in the area of agriculture development, particularly in plant health surveillance and management.

The Surinamese agriculture minister expressed commitment to working with Guyana and assured that there will be no barrier to certified agriculture trade.

Persaud used the opportunity to update Surinamese on Guyana’s modern and elaborate plant and animal health surveillance system.

He urged that no rash decision be taken that can disrupt the livelihood of farmers, exporters and others who depend on legal cross border trade.

The two ministers will continue to hold discussions and push for greater cooperation at the technical level.