In order to further advance technology driven transformation in agriculture, India has been regularly collaborating with regional South-Asian neighbours who have similar crop profiles and climatic conditions. Organizations actively involved in the agriculture sector in Suriname can take advantage of various knowledge and technology transfer programs conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), under the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.

Coincidentally, Suriname and India grow rice as a major crop. India has come a long way from the days of the Great Bengal famine that revolved around rice. Dedicated rice research institutes in India have carried on extensive research over the years in order to achieve national food security goals. Today India’s success with multiple agriculture revolution initiatives can serve as a basis for inspiring “rice to riches” stories in Suriname and other rice-growing nations in the world.

—The writer is a Technology Champion who has worked on multiple projects in the Silicon Valley. He can be reached at nayan.chakravarty@gmail.com