– comments made were unofficial and clearly not informed, Persaud
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud maintains the issue raised by a Surinamese official, indicating that there is an outbreak of plant disease affecting Guyana’s fruits and vegetables, is a non-issue. At a press briefing yesterday, he stressed that the comments made by the Surinamese official, who suggested as much, are being considered “unofficial” and made by an uninformed person.
In the neighbouring country, Nickerie’s District Commissioner, Mr. Laksmienarain Doebay, appealed to residents there to refrain from buying fruits and vegetables from Guyana because of an unknown plant disease that could be harmful to humans.
Doebay was quoted in Starnieuws as saying that he planned to raise his concerns with the National Army and Suriname Agriculture Minister, Henry Setrowidjojo.
Minister Persaud explained that Guyana requested information from Suriname about the claims, but so far nothing has substantiated those claims, and local officials are unaware of such a problem.
President Bharrat Jagdeo and his Suriname counterpart, Desi Bouterse, last November met in Guyana where they concluded their third meeting in two months and further signalled their intention to deepen ties between the two neighbours, including bridging the border Corentyne River.