Household Organic Garden project

One of the aims of Government is to transform Mauritius into an organic island in the near future, through different projects implemented by the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security, as well as other institutions. Citizens will thus be encouraged to cultivate, as far as possible and without the use of any chemical product, vegetables in their backyard for their own consumption.

The Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Mahen Seeruttun, made this statement yesterday at the launching of the Household Organic Garden project, at the Farmers Service Centre of Union Park.

Minister Seeruttun highlighted that in order to reach Government's objective, several incentives are being offered to planter to encourage them to shift from a conventional method to an organic one. One of these methods, he stated, is the bio-farming scheme whereby Government is financing all costs associated with the registration, certification and audit for those holders of a Bio-farming Development Certificate who would wish to acquire the international organic label for their farm produce.

Use of Fertigation in Agriculture

Découvrons ce soir un nouveau concept agricole connu comme la FERTIGATION. Une technique qui est en train d’être démocratisée par le FAREI. Elle a été élaborée de sorte à consommer moins d’eau, mais aussi moins de fertilisant. Cette semaine, un planteur du sud de l’île a reçu sa structure de Fertigation. Une équipe de la MBC est partie à sa rencontre à Carreau Esnouf

Is Mauritius set to become an organic Island?

   

GIS– 20 March, 2019: One of the aims of Government is to transform Mauritius into an organic island in the near future, through different projects implemented by the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security, as well as other institutions. Citizens will thus be encouraged to cultivate, as far as possible and without the use of any chemical product, vegetables in their backyard for their own consumption. The Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Mahen Seeruttun, made this statement yesterday at the launching of the Household Organic Garden project, at the Farmers Service Centre of Union Park.

Minister Seeruttun highlighted that in order to reach Government’s objective, several incentives are being offered to planter to encourage them to shift from a conventional method to an organic one. One of these methods, he stated, is the bio-farming scheme whereby Government is financing all costs associated with the registration, certification and audit for those holders of a Bio-farming Development Certificate who would wish to acquire the international organic label for their farm produce.

He underscored that the launching of the Household Organic Garden project is part of a sensitisation campaign so as to encourage and enable the population to use the organic method of cultivation. Union Park, he added, has been chosen for the launching of the project, following several surveys carried out by the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI), as its climate is favourable and many inhabitants have space in their backyard to implement this method of agriculture.

The Agro-Industry Minister underlined that FAREI will also provide training, which is approved by the Mauritius Qualifications Authority, to some 200 inhabitants of Union Park, before implementing the project in other regions around the island. He also cautioned that all norms concerning organic agriculture will have to be adopted so as to ensure that every harvested product is healthy and of good quality.

During the launching ceremony, several beneficiaries received a starter kit to set up their own organic garden while certificates were also awarded to some organic growers who satisfy all required criteria in organic agriculture.

Role of the youth to join and develop the agricultural sector

GIS - 21 March, 2019: The youth should join the agricultural sector so that the country can become self-sufficient in food crops and with view to encouraging them, Government is providing several incentives so that they develop an interest in the agricultural sector thus contributing to its growth, said the Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Mahen Kumar Seeruttun.
He was speaking, yesterday, at Carreau Esnouf, Plaine Magnien at the handing over ceremony of small scale drip irrigation system, an initiative of the Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security in collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI), . The Minister of Housing and Lands, Mr Purmanund Jhugroo and the Chief Whip, Mr Mahendranuth Sharma Hurreeram were also present at the event.

Minister Mahen Seeruttun underlined that some 10 planters across the island will benefit from the Gravity-Fed Drip Irrigation System which will cover an area of about 2000m2. The system, he said, forms part of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-RAF5079 Project, and has many advantages. It requires no pump and is energy-saving unlike the pressurised drip irrigation system which requires an electric or petrol driven pump, he said. Other benefits are namely, low pressure and low discharge of water, no wastage of water, direct flow of water to the root zone, improved crop yield and quality, low application of fertilisers through fertigation, and lower labour cost, he added.

Furthermore, the Minister reiterated Government’s commitment to give a new dynamism to the agricultural sector and delved on the measures that have been implemented to tackle the challenges faced by the sector, namely the Use of Pesticides Bill, provision of additional funds for grants to planters and various training programmes.

The Minister also announced the construction of 100 sheltered farms across the country and added that 50 will be constructed in the year 2019 while the remaining 50 will be set up next year. The purpose is to reduce the rate of imported fruits and vegetables, and to boost local production.

For his part, Minister Jhugroo highlighted that the system aiming to enhance food security and income of vulnerable farmers, was launched in 2014 and has been implemented in some 25 regions across the country on a small scale of 200 m2. He further mentioned that the irrigation system is a great success in several countries including Algeria, Botswana, Egypt, and Zimbabwe. He, therefore, made an appeal to planters to contact FAREI in order to benefit from the system as well as receive training of this new system so that they can in turn install same in their fields.

As for Mr Hurreeram he cautioned on the alarming rate of health issue caused due to the excessive use of pesticides and encouraged planters to adopt the modern techniques of organic farming so as to minimizing the risks on human health and the environment.

Agro-Industry and Food Security – Unlocking a new phase of agricultural development

L’Economic Development Board (EDB), organisme dont le rôle est d’agir comme facilitateur et passerelle entre le secteur public et le privé, a organisé jeudi un atelier sur le développement du secteur agricole. Cet événement, qui bénéficie de la collaboration de la Commission on Economic Affairs du National Economic and Social Council (NESC), s’insère dans le cadre des consultations pré-budgétaires. Plusieurs acteurs de l’agro-industrie locale, dont le ministre de tutelle, Mahen Seeruttun et le ministre des Affaires, de l’Entreprise et des Coopératives Soomilduth Bholah, ainsi que des représentants du secteur privé, y ont participé. De nombreux aspects liés à l’agro-industrie ont été abordés par les intervenants, notamment la sécurité alimentaire et les enjeux auxquels ce secteur est confronté, notamment les alternatives au sucre, l’adaptation au changement climatique et les nouveaux axes de diversification.

Tracer une feuille de route et identifier des seuils de croissance pour insuffler une nouvelle dynamique au secteur de l’agro-industrie. C’est la mission de la Commission on Economic Affairs, présidée par le ministre de l’Agro-industrie Mahen Seeruttun et opérant sous la coupole du National Economic and Social Council. En ligne avec son mandat d’organisme de promotion du développement économique, l’Economic Development Board (EDB) a été appelé à coordonner les efforts des divers acteurs impliqués dans un certain nombre d’industries jugées prioritaires. Ce premier atelier organisé jeudi fait partie des exercices à travers lesquels l’EDB compte aider les institutions à réaliser leurs objectifs de développement. Les axes identifiés, notamment l’agro-industrie, les TPME (très petites, petites et moyennes entreprises), les industries traditionnelles, la démographie et la disparité des compétences sur le marché de l’emploi, ainsi que le secteur des services, feront l’objet de consultations lors de divers ateliers prévus au cours des semaines à venir.

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