L. Ramrekha (guest)

The tribulations of cane planters

By L. Ramrekha (guest)
Published 9th July, 2008

During the last two months, some 100 acres of cane field has burnt in the Triolet and St Andre area alone.Some of the canes have been cut and left in the field, others will be sent to the factory once the harvest starts. Still others have sent their cane to other factory at a prohibitive cost.

The sugar content of immature burnt cane is low. Less sugar produced means less income for the planter and less contribution to the national economy. Of course, the planter is insured against fire, drought and cyclone with the SIFB and pays a high premium. In return, he expects to be adequately compensated for any loss. At present, the compensation payable for cane burnt during intercrop season hardly covers the cost of cutting and disposing of the cane. A compensation calculated on the weight of the cane destroyed and based on the average sugar accruing for the crop would be more reasonable than the present Rs 480 per ton of cane destroyed.

Another financial burden of planters whose land fall under the irrigation area is the increasing cost of irrigation.From November 2007 to March 2008, drought prevailed and the fields were sparsely irrigated for lack of water. Then the country was flooded with rain and the fields had not to be irrigated for there was excessive rainfall during a period. In spite of this, the irrigation dues have gone up.

To add injury to the tribulation of the planters,the Irrigation Authority has deducted from the proceeds of crop 2007, dues in excess of the amount payable. Hundreds of requests have been made for refund. At Fon Sing Building, it appears, decision has been taken not to refund the excess deducted at source. At the Finance Section, all sorts of excuses are made: "the computer is out of order, the officer in charge is not present, the board has not yet approved the refund etc."

The Irrigation Authority does not provide free services to the planters. The "go to hell" attitude of certain officers is intolerable specially at a time when the sugar industry is going to bust.

L. Ramrekha

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3 Responses to "The tribulations of cane planters"

Akaruku

said this on 09 Jul 2008 9:49:22 PM MUT

Mr Ramrekha, you voted for "nou bizin sanzma" did not you?

Your MP is the PM of Mauritius, "Navin, nous sommes fier de ton succes!". He knows your needs and he is doing "sanzma" in your interest. En 100 jours depi 5 juillet 2005 to fine vine plis riste ...!

In your interest, he sent the "santeur séga" of the famous "nou bizin sanzma" to work in the MTPA office at the Mauritian embassy in London. Santeur ine vine diplomat! The Office Manager, Mr Sohun Ghorrah, who does not belong to the AMB tribe, has been told to pack up and go. Mr Ghorrah graduated from Delhi University, London University and Oxford University. He is not competent compared to the singer.

Santeur séga apé roulé en bas en bas, done bal ek fer pei developé ek fer loneur nou pei!.

Mr Ramrekha you must accept the sanzma of Nuvin-Rama. They have been elected democratically, without tempo or pethidine. Don't complain. Go and Vote at the next general elections and don't forget "la vie sanzé dan 100 jours avek Nuvin ek Rama.

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Insaf

said this on 09 Jul 2008 10:15:15 PM MUT

The ordeal that small planters are going through now is not something new. It is what we call in French a “scenario inépuisable”, meaning that it is bound to happen repeatedly. Why? Because all the institutions that were set up to help small planters have simply failed them. First and foremost, the Mauritius Sugar Authority, which is mandated to look after the interests of all sugar industry stakeholders, cares only about corporate sector issues such as sugar mills centralization, energy production and alternative uses of sugar cane. Other institutions like the SIFB, Irrigation Authority and Farmers Service Centres have become self-serving bodies that care more about the welfare of their directors and staff than the problems of small planters.

All these incompetent institutions are funded by small planters’ contributions, which are levied through the global cess on sugar industry export earnings. While the price of sugar has decreased, the rate at which the global cess is raised has remained constant over the years in order to fund an ever-growing bureaucracy of file-pushers and buck-passers. All the staff working with institutions funded by the global cess will receive hefty pay raises thanks to PRB, but the sugar industry, already reeling from lower sugar prices and reduced crops, has to foot the bill. There is no economic rationale to raise a huge global cess on sugar export revenue to fund institutions that have outlived their original purpose. The SILWF has no raison d’être today when other government departments can look after the social welfare of labourers. The MSA, with its pro-corporate sector bias, should be disbanded, as suggested by the Labour MP Nita Deerpalsingh.

The closure of the useless institutions will reduce the global cess and put more money in small planters’ pockets for their own survival.

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