-agri officials for urgent talks
Authorities in neighbouring Suriname have closed the ‘backtrack route’ (illegal route) across the Corentyne River to protect the agriculture sector in that country from the plant disease Black Sigatoka, stating that the disease is rampant in Guyana.
According to a report in the Surinamese newspaper de Ware Tijd, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries of Suriname has requested the authorities at Nickerie to close down the illegal ‘backtrack’ route across the Corentyne River as of Monday August 17 to protect the entire agrarian sector in that country, especially the banana sector, as a preventative measure from the yeast disease. The report stated that joint patrols of police and military along the Corentyne River has increased as a result.
The Agriculture Ministry here was informed of the issue by this newspaper yesterday and Minister Robert Persaud in a statement issued later, disputed the claim made by the Suriname authorities noting that an unidentified disease has been found in isolated banana fields and is at a level which has not impacted banana production negatively, noting that it is being closely monitored by local and international technical staff. Persaud noted that the collaborative efforts of the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IICA) offices in Guyana and Suriname have resulted in some scientific work being done in advancing the understanding of the disease. He noted that this study does not support the action taken by the Surinamese and noted that work has been unable to definitively identify and confirm the disease causing agent.
Persaud stated that he has since directed the Chief Crops and Livestock Officer and the Technical Manager of the Plant Health Services to travel to Suriname today to hold discussions with counterparts on ensuring effective cross-border PhytoSanitary measures. He also encouraged Surinamese authorities to work collaboratively to take all measures to ensure that there is no disruption in cross-border trade with unaffected agricultural produce. Persaud said that he intends to hold discussions with his Surinamese counterpart, K.Stanley Raghoebarsing next Tuesday in Paramaribo on the issue in question as well as other related matters.
Secretary of the Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCCI),Sachie Ramnauth, told Stabroek News yesterday that she was informed that the closure occurred on Monday afternoon, with persons who usually utilize the route only being able to cross over to Suriname, most of them being Dutch nationals trading on the Guyana side of the Corentyne River. She said those persons travel without their passports or other forms of identification and noted that boat operators at the Corriverton area were told that the closure was related to the H1N1 disease. Ramnauth said persons in the area, especially boat operators who ply the ‘backtrack’ route on a daily basis, have been questioning the reason behind the closure of the route by the authorities in Suriname, with some citing the ferry crossing at Moleson Creek as an easy channel for the transfer of the any form of disease.
The Black Sigatoka disease is a leaf spot disease affecting plantain and banana plants caused by an ascomycete fungus. Research shows that the leaves of plants damaged by the disease may have up to 50% lower yield of fruit. On commercial export plantations the disease is controlled by the frequent application of fungicides, while the removal of the affected leaves, good drainage, and sufficient spacing are measures which can be adopted to fight the disease.
When contacted for a comment, a chemist at a local chemicals store told Stabroek News yesterday that the Black Sigatoka disease has been in the Caribbean and parts of South America, including Guyana, some two decades now. He said the disease shows up in Guyana ‘every now and then’ depending on the type of climate, being alternative 3-5 days period of wet and dry weather. He noted that the last time the banana and plantain industry here was exposed to the disease on a large scale was about 10 years ago. The individual also noted that the disease is curable, since new chemicals on the market, such as Bellis, can effectively wipe out the disease in a month, if used continuously. He noted that local farmers have been purchasing the chemical from his store because of its effectiveness and stated that the Ministry of Agriculture has been doing its part by informing plantain and banana farmers of the effects and benefits of using the chemical. The experienced chemist said that he cannot understand why the authorities in neighbouring Suriname would cite the presence of the disease in Guyana as a reason for closing the ‘back-track’ crossing since he recalled that there had been many cases in the past of the yeast-disease surfacing in that country among others in South America.
Mostly traders utilize the ‘back-track route’ as it allows them quick access to Suriname. Officers of the Berbice Anti-Smuggling Squad (BASS) usually monitor activities on the Guyana side of the crossing along with officers of the Guyana Revenue Authority who collect duties from passengers importing goods.
