Sep 30, 2012

Farming Matters

FM - Farmer organisation 28.3Farming Matters | September 2012
Farmers’ organisations can play important roles in developing supply management schemes and various income insurance programmes. Farmers can learn from each other, about production, marketing, rights, etc., and join a platform to learn about others’ experiences.
As a group, farmers can exercise more political pressure for change. Yet, even though there are many potential benefits for small-scale farmers who become organised, the logistics and governance of farming organisations can be problematic. Farmer organisations do not automatically benefit everyone in the community: are they, for example, open to everyone, including female farmers?
This issue of Farming Matters pays special attention to farmers’ organisations. In what different ways do farmers organise? What problems exist in farmers’ organisations and how are these dealt with?
Read the magazine | Download the magazine | Preview the magazine

Research Week at the University of Mauritius (

The Research Week (01- 05 October 2012), aims at fostering a culture of sharing and innovation at the University of Mauritius, has been running for the past three years. In an attempt to further consolidate the research potential of staff and students alike, Research Week 2012 will provide each Faculty with one full day to showcase their research work and results. Research Week acts as a mechanism to encourage staff members and students to increase their research output. The Faculty of Agriculture research day will be on Friday 05 Oct 2012. Our new Vice Chancellor, Prof. H.C.S Rughooputh, vision is to create a vibrant research culture on campus and to drive in research that meets the national needs.


Good Luck to ALL

Sep 13, 2012

OIE - Competencies expected of graduates in veterinary medicine

Participants at the First World Conference on Veterinary Education, held in Paris (France) in October 2009 by the OIE under the theme: An Evolving veterinary education for a safer world, and the second global conference, organized Lyon (France) in May 2011 as part of the celebration of World Veterinary Year Vet2011 have supported the work of the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) to determine the knowledge basis that any veterinarian in the world should acquire as part of their initial training.
Following the work of the Expert Group on the OIE veterinary education, from all continents, I am pleased to send you a copy of the brochure entitled "Recommendations of the OIE on minimum competencies expected of graduates in veterinary medicine to ensure high quality services vétérinaires1 nationals. " The skills listed include the most important expectations of society with respect to the veterinary profession and fall under the concept of global public good (eg the recognition of infectious diseases, food safety and animal welfare).
I refer you for further information to the OIE website and to Resolution No. 34 passed in 2011 by the World Assembly of national representatives of the 178 Member Countries of the OIE (a copy of which is attached to this email for information).
In addition, priority lines of work in progress to the OIE on the topic of veterinary education are mentioned in Resolution No. 32 passed in 2012 (a copy of which is also attached to this email for information). This work will provide more detail on the contents of each minimum qualifications listed.
Of course, the demand exerted towards the veterinary profession may vary in detail from one country to another. This is why the list of minimum competencies covers only part of the contents of the initial veterinary education in each country, the other part being related to local circumstances.
I would also like to recall that the OIE is not intended to audit the veterinary schools and the main objective is to convince policy makers to implement a quality education for the benefit of all veterinarians in the world . To this end, the OIE twinning programs prepare between educational institutions of its Member Countries to accelerate desired changes.
Thanking you for your continued support to the activities of the OIE on the progress of veterinary education in the world, I beg you to accept, dear (expensive) colleague, the expression of my feelings best.
Bernard Vallat

  1. Recommendations of the OIE on minimum competencies expected of graduates in veterinary medicine to ensure the high quality of national Veterinary Services 
  2. Resolution No. 32: good governance and Veterinary Education (adopted in May 2012 by the World Assembly of national representatives of the 178 Member Countries of the OIE) 
  3. Resolution No. 34 Veterinary Education (adopted in May 2011 by the World Assembly of national representatives of the 178 Member Countries of the OIE).

Scholarship WebSites

As a Faculty it is also our aim to help our students find opportunities for higher education and become agents of development in our country and the rest of the world. The 2 websites below provides ample information on scholarships opportunities that you can tap to increase your knowledge.

 Scholars4dev
 The scholars4dev, short for Scholarships for Development, is an updated listing of international scholarships specifically for people from developing countries, people who would like to pursue development-related fields, and people who seek global and national development through further education.


Scholarship Positions
Welcome to the International Scholarships and Financial Aid website - Find Undergraduate, Masters, PhD and Postdoctoral Scholarship Positions. No registration fees is required to access scholarships on this website. You can either subscribe to our free email newsletters or use RSS feed to stay updated with the current scholarship announcements. By joining our free scholarship newsletter you will have access to new scholarships, application tips, application deadlines and many other special features.

Good Luck to all.

Sep 12, 2012

Organic Farming - Myth or Reality

Is organic agriculture, which does not seek output maximisation, able to feed a growing world population, or will it always remain a fine but small niche? Can smallholders in the South achieve stable incomes by converting to organic production? Or is it possibly even grossly negligent to entice them to join the markets – doubtlessly expanding – for organic food as they may never actually be able to enter them due to the high quality standards and entry costs? What is the status of organic farming of Mauritius? Are we fully engaged in OF?

While there are no simple answers to these questions, reading the articles below would be very instructive.
  1. Organic agriculture in developing countries: Status quo and challenges
  2. Organic agriculture and food security – not a contradiction
  3. Changing agriculture in a changing climate
  4. Standards and certification: means, not ends
  5. A viable alternative?
  6. In Brief: sources of information
  7. Linking smallholders to organic supply chains: what is needed?
  8. Farming with a conscience
  9. Paving the way for Serbia’s organic agriculture towards the EU
  10. Challenges and opportunities for organic research and extension


New Agriculturalist

The latest edition of New Agriculturist (2012-5) is now online at www.new-ag.info. If smallholders are to continue to play a dominant role in the world's food production in the future, policymakers need to play their part to support them. We can share information and experiences, discuss problems and propose solutions, but if we are to really help millions at risk from food insecurity and natural disasters, such words must lead to action.