MoU cites US$ 1.69 million for share arrangement involving 9,410 hectares

The English-language Memorandum of Understanding, dated November 27, 2025, describes agreements between Braganza Marketing Group N.V. and three individuals referred to in the document as “the Mennonites”. For Mennonites in Suriname, it is particularly important that the agreement not only mentions cooperation in agriculture, but also a concrete financial arrangement concerning 9,410 hectares. According to the document, the Mennonites would acquire 100 percent of the shares in Agriculture New Suriland N.V., a company into which the rights to the land in question would be transferred.

A total amount of US$ 1,693,800 is mentioned for this arrangement. The document does not state that the land itself is being sold directly. However, it states that the land would be acquired through the takeover of all shares in Agriculture New Suriland and that the rights to the land would be transferred to that company. The text therefore distinguishes between ownership of the land, shares in a company and the rights attached to the land.

The payment arrangement is set out in concrete terms. The MoU states that US$ 250,000 had already been transferred to Braganza’s bank account. After signing, a further US$ 596,900 would be paid, bringing 50 percent of the total amount to payment. This would be followed by two payments of US$ 423,450 each, one after one year and one after two years. Upon receipt of the final payment, Braganza would grant a full discharge. Mathematically, US$ 1,693,800 divided by 9,410 hectares amounts to approximately US$ 180 per hectare, although the amount is not described in the MoU as a price per hectare.

What the agreement concerning Mennonites in Suriname specifically entails

The wording in the document is legally significant, because a share transfer is not automatically the same as the sale of land. At the same time, the value of the shares in this agreement is directly linked to an area of 9,410 hectares and to the rights that would be placed on it. Based solely on the pages reviewed, it cannot be determined exactly what type of land rights were intended and whether all the transfers described were ultimately carried out.

The MoU further states that Braganza would have held several talks with the Surinamese government and that, according to the text, the government had concluded that the Mennonites could make an important contribution to large-scale agriculture. In the document, Braganza also undertakes to help facilitate the group’s settlement in Suriname, including with immigration procedures and contacts with government bodies and ministries. This concerns a statement within a private agreement and does not in itself constitute evidence of separate permission from the State.

MoU predates agreement with LVV

The date of the MoU makes the chronology relevant. The document states that it was signed in Belize and Paramaribo on November 27, 2025. A later agreement made public between the Ministry of Landbouw, Veeteelt en Visserij (Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries) and Braganza is dated January 13, 2026. According to earlier reporting, that agreement conditionally made 9,366.72 hectares of state land in Para available to Braganza for large-scale agriculture. The State remains the owner, and the right of use is described as functional and non-transferable.

The areas of 9,410 hectares in the MoU and 9,366.72 hectares in the later agreement are close to each other. The difference is 43.28 hectares. However, the pages now reviewed do not establish that they concern exactly the same land. This would require, among other things, the map in the annex, parcel details and the full agreements. According to the published information, the agreement with LVV also stipulates that transferring the right of use to third parties requires prior written permission from the ministry.

The MoU does not describe a direct sale of land, but it does describe a multimillion-dollar deal involving shares and rights to 9,410 hectares.

Braganza denies sale of agricultural land

The new information is relevant against the background of the statement issued by Braganza on September 18, 2026. The company stated that no agricultural land is being sold to Mennonites and that no land purchase agreements exist. Braganza did acknowledge that there are separate agreements and framework agreements with Mennonites concerning the implementation of agricultural projects. Key News previously reported extensively on Braganza’s statement.

The MoU now reviewed does not necessarily directly contradict that denial in legal terms, because the document describes an acquisition of shares and related rights rather than a conventional purchase of land. However, the document shows that Braganza itself is named as the recipient of concrete payments within an arrangement linked to 9,410 hectares. This raises the question of how these financial arrangements relate precisely to Braganza’s later rights of use and to the public explanation that no land is being sold.

LVV’s position on Mennonites in Suriname

Minister Mike Noersalim of LVV previously stated that his ministry has not concluded a separate agreement with the Mennonites. According to the official explanation from the Surinamese government, LVV entered into agreements with Braganza as a Surinamese company for agricultural production, while the company would not have presented itself as a representative of the Mennonites.

The government further emphasizes that making an area available for agriculture does not automatically replace all other required permits. Separate conditions and procedures apply to, among other things, the environment, the residence of foreign workers and activities in forest areas. The private agreement between Braganza and the Mennonites must therefore be considered separately from the powers and decisions of the State.

Questions about rights and payments remain open

More documentation is therefore needed for full clarity. Important questions include whether the share transfer of Agriculture New Suriland actually took place, which rights were contributed to that company, and whether, after the stated US$ 250,000, the payment of US$ 596,900 and the later instalments were also made. It is also important whether written permission was obtained from the competent government authorities for any transfer or use by third parties.

It is also relevant what legal position existed on November 27, 2025, when the MoU was drawn up. The document predates the publicly known agreement of January 13, 2026 between LVV and Braganza. Without the annexes and underlying documents, it cannot be determined whether Braganza already held other rights at that time, or whether the agreements anticipated rights that still had to be obtained later.

The documents reviewed do make clear that the agreements concerning Mennonites in Suriname went beyond merely the deployment of agricultural knowledge and labour. By the end of 2025, there was a detailed financial arrangement involving amounts, payment deadlines, shares and rights linked to an area of 9,410 hectares. Disclosure of the full annexes, the position of Agriculture New Suriland and any written permissions may provide greater clarity on exactly how this arrangement is structured legally and financially.