“The price of fertilizers has jumped between 35% and 72%. Pesticides and herbicides have registered an increase ranging from 20% to 68%.  Furthermore, there has been a 42% increase in freight charges. Potato and onion seeds have witnessed an increase of 19% to 65%, whereas other vegetable seeds now cost 50%-100% more than a few years back,” says Minister Dr Arvin Boolell. These have caused significant loss of revenue to small vegetable growers and have put them in serious financial straits.

What's more, other factors have also contributed to the current dire financial situation : increase in labour cost (20%), irrigation dues (15%), land preparation and mechanization (25%), land rental (28%), capital investment due to higher interest rates, theft in fields, marketing costs (10%), post-harvest losses varying between 5-10%.

However, the Minister assures, Government hasn't remained indifferent to the plight of the growers. “We know high cost of inputs is biting vegetable growers hard. We are doing everything to help them,” he says. The Small Planters Welfare Fund (SPWF) has introduced the Crop Insurance Scheme, a risk management tool to provide insurance coverage to small planters whose productions have been damaged because of drastic climatic conditions like drought and cyclones. This provides necessary financial support to go back to production in the shortest delay after the occurrence of the calamity.

Land allocation
Other measures taken by Government  include the allocation of  1,012 A of state agricultural lands to 354 beneficiaries, which include 205 vegetable/fruit planters for an extent of 419A.

“We have also decided to release 20 A at Plaisance and 15 A at Richelieu Experimental Stations for cultivation of onion seeds and 193 A at Côte d'Or for potato cultivation. Moreover, Government is encouraging planters to engage in vegetable production by making additional land available through  the 207 Arpents at Rose Belle, 100 Arpents by SIT and 100 Arpent by MSPA.  The RBSE has agreed to charge a concessionary rental fee of Rs 3,000 per arpent in respect of small beneficiaries.

Furthermore, Government is currently negotiating with the MSPA on the 2,000A of land for the implementation of a social programme and agricultural projects, under the Empowerment Program.

Regrouping
“We are also considering the regrouping of vegetable growers for land preparation by the Project Implementation Committee (PIC) of the Mauritius Sugar Authority whose mandate would be extended. A mechanization programme would be elaborated by PIC rendering small vegetable growers more cost efficient,” Dr Boolell says.

A hydroponic village at Rose Belle and 15 fruit villages for eight fruits across the island have been set up. Other measures to be taken include the introduction of a crop registration system;  import of fertilizers and other agro chemicals in bulk for sale to planters at cost price; Potato Boost Up Scheme by AMB for the year 2008; review of potato floor price and offer of storage facilities to planters; offer of a Small Grants Window until 31 October 2008 by the Decentralised Cooperation Programme and Trust Fund for Social Integration of Vulnerable Groups; among others.

Cross border initiative  
The Minister is all for a cross border initiative for food security at local and regional levels. In collaboration with the Agricultural Research & Extension Unit (AREU) and other parastatal organisations, the Ministry of Agriculture has worked out a draft document for the period 2007-2015 outlining the strategic options for the development of agri-business in Mauritius.

“The final document, which will be our Action Plan, will be made public soon. It takes into account our dependence on food import, policies promoting access to agricultural land, agri-business, good agricultural practice, improvement of food quality and safety, promotion of export and welfare of planters and breeders,” Dr Boolell says.