That we're in a lockdown is one thing, but having vegetable and fruits shortages, which makes the prices go up, is another. But don't worry about us just yet, there is still food in Suriname and I'm doing fine. It's because of the rainy season we're in right now, that a lot of places in Suriname are/were flooded and especially the agricultural areas have been hit hard by it.
So like I've already said, there's food available. But because the crops aren't doing so well - less vegetables and those that are available are smaller - the prices went up drastically; supply and demand. Fruit and vegetable vendors who are a telephone call away have all said that (part of) their land has been influenced by the flood(s) and the constant rain. Even the tools and/or machinery used by farmers got affected.
And yes, we can't control the weather, even I know that. But after reading a news article I was wondering "What can we control?" I mean, we know already by now that it rains this much every year, so shouldn't we have come up with possible solutions at this time? For instance, finally getting our infrastructure up to par; fixing what's already there and getting systems in place that we didn't have before.
Another possible solution is to modernize. The knowledge in modern agricultural technology (greenhouses, hydroponics, vertical farming, aquaponics, etc.) IS available in Suriname; there are even colleges and courses focused on agriculture, where farmers could learn techniques to control what they can and "ensure" a steady output.
Of course, to utilize all of those techniques it will cost money - a lot - and maybe they don't all have the capital to invest. Still, I'm really wondering if they do invest in more modern ways, if the return would be worthwhile in the long run. But what do you think? Did I miss something? Leave a comment below 🤓.
