Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, formerly known as Dutch Guiana, is the smallest country in South America with a population of 588,000. It is the only country in America where the official language is Dutch, since it belonged to the Kingdom of the Netherlands until 1975, when independence was declared.

Suriname has an equatorial climate, it has two seasons, one dry and one rainy, and annual temperatures between 23 and 32 degrees C.

Poultry production in Suriname

In 2020, Suriname’s chicken meat production was 10,370 tons and that of eggs, 4,301 tons. Although the production of chicken meat and eggs in Suriname has fluctuated in recent years, the trend was to increase during the period 1971 – 2020.

Currently, poultry farmers in Suriname are facing several difficulties, among which the global rise in prices of inputs and animal feed stands out, which keeps the poultry sector under great pressure.

Another major challenge is the import of hatching eggs from the Netherlands, which has been banned by the Ministry of Agriculture, due to an outbreak of avian flu in this country.

The general increase in transport prices, supplies and the problem of logistics and availability in containers, added to the avian flu, causes great losses for small producers and they ask for help from the government.

The Latin American Poultry Association, ALA, which includes 34 countries, including Suriname, has been very active in recent years requesting financial aid from various international organizations to promote poultry farming in Latin America.

Evolution of the poultry market in Suriname

Until 1990, Suriname was self-sufficient in the local production of chicken meat. Since then, the demand increased and they began to import from Brazil and the United States and, as a result, local employment and investments in poultry farms have decreased.

Fortunately, after 2010 there has been a recovery in local production, employing around 2,000 people. Production is mainly concentrated in the Wanica district. Nationwide there are approximately 4,200 poultry farms (mostly family-owned and small farms), of which some 2,200 meat production farms, almost 1,500 laying hen farms and around 500 farms with other birds such as ducks and geese.

Chicken meat consumption in Suriname

The main source of animal protein in Suriname is chicken meat. Chicken meat consumption in Suriname is among the highest in the world, at more than 50 kg per capita. Therefore, Suriname came to import $16.6 million worth of poultry meat in 2020. In the same year, chicken meat ranked 11th in imports to Suriname.

Suriname is a member of the Caribbean Poultry Association (CPA), founded in 1999 to represent national poultry producers and support the growth of the industry. The CPA continually promotes the export of poultry products within the region.

While other major CPA members have made significant improvements in chicken production, Suriname’s imports continue to double its exports.

In 2020, the amount of chicken meat imports for Suriname was 18,237 tons. In the United States alone, in the same year, the import value of meat and chicken derivatives was approximately 13.9 million USD.

Common diseases in chickens and how to prevent them

Although avian flu remains a threat to poultry farms, it is currently under control in Suriname. Due to the heat and humidity, the most common diseases in chickens in South American countries are gastrointestinal diseases, such as coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis. In broilers, intestinal welfare is essential for better performance, to ensure nutrient absorption and to guarantee animal welfare and food safety. It is estimated that, worldwide, more than 2 million dollars are spent annually to prevent and treat these diseases.

Biovet SA, a company specialized in the research and development of natural additives for animal nutrition, offers natural solutions for the natural control of coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis in chickens.

The intestinal optimizer pronutrients represent an effective and completely natural solution that allows the defense system of the birds to eliminate coccidia. To do this, they physiologically stimulate the local immune cells of the intestine and, as they do not act directly against these parasites, they do not create resistance. The intestinal optimizer pronutrients have been developed and patented under the name Alquernat Zycox.

On the other hand, Alquermold Natural is a feed preservative with a broad spectrum of action. Its microbicidal properties allow it to be also effective against pathogenic fungi and bacteria present in the digestive tract, where it eliminates microorganisms such as E. coli, Salmonella and Clostridium, and promotes the balance of the intestinal microbiota.

The two products are natural solutions of botanical origin that do not generate resistance or residues in animals. Therefore, their use is completely safe and they do not require a withdrawal period. Its use reports benefits at the intestinal level that help reduce the incidence of these diseases and increase productivity.