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News from the Caribbean as of
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Suriname seeks solution for butter dispute with Jamaica
Thursday, October 19, 2006
by Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent
Email: ivan@caribbeannetnews.com
PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Suriname is seeking a solution for a year-long butter dispute with Jamaica. At the upcoming meeting of CARICOM’s Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) next month in Georgetown, Guyana, Suriname will raise this issue again.
Trade Minister, Clifford Marica, informed journalists Wednesday that Kingston is boycotting the brands Anchor Spreadable Butter and Tasting Margarine produced under licence of Jamaican company Fonterra World Brands. Jamaica is maintaining the refusal, claiming that these products have milk fat as ingredient and Suriname is unknown as a dairy producing country.
After the Margarine and Fats Factory on May 31, 2005 exported a container with butter and margarine to Jamaica, the shipment was retained for over three months at the port facilities and eventually released. In November 2005, Fronterra sought permission again to import the same products again from Suriname, but was rejected by the Jamaican authorities.
According to Surinamese government officials and managers of the Surinamese firm, several letters were sent to the Jamaican authorities to clarify the matter, but to no avail.
In September, Marica communicated this issue with his Jamaican counterpart. No satisfactory solution has been found yet.
“We will fight this issue to the bone and I can assure you that Surinamese butter will be on the shelves in Jamaica,” said Marica. He further stressed, that since the situation has stayed the same, he will raise his concerns again next month at the Georgetown meeting with his CARICOM colleagues.
He further added that Suriname isn’t considering a boycott of Jamaican products, but “rather wants a solution at the table.”
In the meantime Jamaican authorities were invited to visit Suriname and the company involved to assess whether Jamaica’s ban has any ground.
Marica further noticed, that although within CARICOM steps are being taken for economic integration in the region, all the member states are trying to look after their own interest as best as possible.
“Despite all the problems and issues, Suriname is still a firm supporter of the integration process”, said Marica.
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