Assessment of the Basic Veterinary Services in Mauritius.

The Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security would carry out a study on the Evaluation of Basic Veterinary Care in Mauritius. Under the Reinforcing Veterinary Governance in Africa Programme, a Livestock Policy Hub has been set up at the Ministry aiming at strengthening the institutions providing livestock services. The main object of the study would be to assess the effectiveness of the veterinary services provided to small breeders. The study would also consider the possibility of entrusting veterinary care services to the small breeders to private veterinarians.


There is a need to review and to restructure the veterinary services for various reasons be it at national, regional and international levels as movement and handling of animals either local or transboundary is of high priority so as to minimise the threat to livestock and other animals. 

This statement was made by the Minister of Agro Industry and Food Security, Mr S. Faugoo, GOSK, at the launching of the pilot project on Evaluation of Basic Veterinary Care under the Reinforcing Veterinary Governance in Africa (VET-GOV) Programme.

Minister Faugoo pointed out that out of 43 projects submitted to the African Union – InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) only eight were retained and Mauritius is one among them. He added that the project will be funded by the African Union and the European Union to the tune of some eighty thousand Euros and that AU-IBAR is in charge of the overall coordination of the project and implementation of most activities.

The strategic goal of the VET-GOV program is to bring about institution strengthening of livestock services towards the establishment of adequate livestock services at the national level and strengthen regional institutions to play their roles of coordination, harmonisation, integration and support to countries with the aim to stimulate a more conducive environment for public and private investments in the livestock sector.

The VET-GOV program is being implemented in partnership with the Regional Economic Communities, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Animal Health Organisation.

Turkey Production in Mauritius

 The Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security will open  a Turkey Unit at the Belle Vue Experimental Station at Albion.  Breeders and members of the public would be able to buy month-old turkeys at the Unit.  The Duck Unit, also operational at the Belle Vue Experimental Station, sells day–old ducklings to the farming community. Study tours are regularly organised at Albion Duck farm with a view to apprising farmers of duck breeds, housing system, feeding, reproduction, record keeping and other husbandry practices.  An average of 11,000 day-old ducklings are currently produced yearly.  The Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security would organise an open day on the occasion of the launching of the Turkey Unit.

Newly recruited Academic Staff at the Faculty

 The Faculty of Agriculture has recruited 3 academic staff. Their field of interests are highlighted in their short biographies  below. We wish them a successful career at the Faculty and the University.

 Ms Hudaa Neetoo joined the department of AFS of FoA in August of 2013. Her area of specialization is microbiology and food safety. Prior to joining academia, she worked as Microbiologist and Head of Laboratories in a tuna processing industry, Thon des Mascareignes Ltee. As a budding researcher, Hudaa wants to initiate intra and inter-departmental collaborations with various colleagues but she also wants to maintain industrial ties. Hudaa hopes that her academic career will enable her to give back to the community through outreach activities, student mentoring and graduate empowerment programs.

Before joining the University as academic, Bhoyroo Vishwakalyan worked as Associate Research Scientist at the Mauritius Oceanography Institute. He has completed his Ph. D in Orchid conservation and evolution. He has served at the Faculty of Agriculture since 2006 as part-time lecturer and joined as a full-time academic in August 2013. The main research areas are classical Botany, Molecular Biology, Plant Ecology and Conservation Biology. As a marine biologist he has participated in scientific expeditions and deep sea exploration in the Indian Ocean. He also has worked in Coral conservation initiatives and fish taxonomy. He is currently involved in the setting up of a national database of living resources along with other colleagues of the faculty.

Mahindra Chooneea joined the University of Mauritius as full-time lecturer in the field of Agronomy as from January 2013.  He was awarded his MPhil in the field of Crop Production in the year 2009.  Formerly, he was working as Technical Officer (Wildlife) at the National Parks and Conservation Service of the Ministry of Agro-Industry &Food Security and was involved in several national projects such as National Fruit Bat Survey, National Crow Control Project, Invasive Alien Species Control Programme & Terrestrial Biodiversity Conservation.  He actively participated in several scientific islet expeditions (Boa translocation & Flora Conservation-Round Island, Gunner’s Coin, Flat Island and Gabriel Islet).  He was also involved in collaborative conservation work with international institutions like Kew Garden, Jersey and Conservatoire Botanique Nationale de Brest.

His fields of expertise are crop production, agronomy, irrigation, soil fertility and landscaping.  He is currently involved in research in the field of Climate Smart Agriculture and Landscaping.  

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