When curiosity turns into ambition: for Perdiep Kumar Ganga, onion cultivation is no longer an experiment, but represents a real opportunity for Surinamese horticulture.
Ganga lived in the Netherlands for 15 years, where he gained extensive experience in greenhouse horticulture. In particular, he worked for 5 years on a tomato farm. “That’s where I really learned the trade. Then I brought this knowledge back to Suriname, with the aim of becoming a producer and training other people. HAS”
© Cooperative Shaktiman
In his own greenhouse, he started by growing a variety of tropical produce such as long beans, red and yellow peppers, bitawiri, tayer leaf and sopropo, which formed the basis of his current business.
Expansion
Ganga has been active in the Surinamese agricultural sector for 10 years now. His business has grown steadily: 6 ha of bananas, 7 of melons and around 500 m² of tomatoes in the open field. This breakdown shows that he is committed to diversification, but also has experience with different cultivation systems. “We need to know what works in our conditions. » This practical approach is the common thread of his approach.
© Cooperative ShaktimanOnion test
The decision to start growing onions was made out of pure curiosity. On a plot of only 30 m², he launched a pilot project. “After three months, I had a yield of 7 kg/m2. It’s not bad! » This result was the tipping point for him. According to Ganga, there is a clear opportunity for local Surinamese culture, which would partly offset the dependence on imports.
“Large-scale cultivation should be possible. Consolidation is essential to be competitive, reduce costs, market the product at lower cost and thus, ultimately, fully supply the local market. » Ganga is targeting an area of 50 ha for onion cultivation on his farm.
Obstacles: land and mechanization
Right now, the biggest challenge is not knowledge or technology, but access to land. Ganga simply does not have enough land area to implement his projects. He believes that the government clearly has a role to play in facilitating the development of agriculture.
In addition, mechanization is essential. Growing onions on a large scale requires efficient processes from planting to harvest. Without mechanization, scaling remains limited.
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For its onion cultivation, Ganga sources planting materials from India. A modest start of 30 m² can, under the right conditions, lay the foundations for a large-scale sector in Suriname.
For more information:
Perdiep Kumar Ganga
Cooperation Shaktiman
Tél. : +597 7184429
