SHYAMA PARSAD BISNAUTHSING
While listening to the speech at the National Assembly on Tuesday 7 June 2022, the audience was captivated by the various measures, especially as they were amongst the first enunciated. It sounded too good and sugary as exceptionally 40 paragraphs and substantial sub paragraphs were allotted to that item along with the mention of huge amounts earmarked totalizing around Rs 3 billion.
The measures are meant to better the situation of farmers, fishermen and also to initiate new entrepreneurs in the sectors. There are some new ones while the rest are already existent since years the newness being the increase in the amount allocated; this is understandable as the costs of investments have more than doubled in most sectors – hardware and other.
Just to illustrate, take the sheltered farming and hydroponics as example. The square meter cost of production of a tunnel has reached a prohibitive level for a struggling small farmer. The cost starts at Rs 2,200 per square meter for hydroponics and Rs 1,500 for sheltered farms. Further, the other inputs like water, fertilizer solutions and planting medium have also more than doubled from the previous cost. Mention has been repeatedly made of finance by the Development Bank of Mauritius whose lending conditions for a loan above Rs 350,000 is provision of a fixed charge. Is it possible for any entrepreneur? Doubt subsists. In the past years budget speech announcement were made for 100 ready-to-operate-sheltered-farms but only less than half the number was completed and the project was altered thereafter.
With regard to potato and onion production, not all regions of Mauritius are suitable as the crops have their own agronomic particularities and also labour availability. Potatoes, whose seeds were already subsidized, thrive well in irrigated or humid conditions. As such, they were produced in the high lands and irrigated conditions in winter. Côte D’or, Hermitage and Highlands’s area among others are particularly indicated for production of this crop. Unfortunately, most of the lands are either earmarked for infrastructural projects by Landscope or already under tar and concrete, the remaining land available are either marginal or already parceled by SIT and Landscope. The southern regions are also indicated but due to some soil health issues no planter dared to cultivate the crop last year. The other option is Sugar Estates and they will surely seize the opportunity to increase the area of production as they have control of all conditions. As such many potential small producers who usually produce the crop on rotational lands of sugar estates will not be able to do so now onwards. Same applies for onion production.
Soil Health is a very important issue hindering productivity. Soil is not an inert substance which will become productive by adding considerable fertilisers to boost up production. Soil microflorae like earth worms and beneficial bacteria, which are essential for soil fertility and uptake of nutrients by roots of crops, has considerably been affected by humans with the application of heavy doses of complex fertilizers and herbicides to boost up production. The consequences are irreversible and are causes for much harm to humanity through contamination of underground water through leachates. This important issue has not met necessary attention in the budget speech.
Whether we want to ensure food security for the nation, enhance farmers income and enhance bio diversity, we imperatively need to bring back our soil health. Mention has also been made of facilities of Rs 100,000 for the purchase of cows and construction of cowsheds by cooperatives under the Zero Budget Natural Farming. The question that needs answers is why the authorities responsible of livestock stations of Curepipe and Melrose do not produce and distribute the materials already available. That would surely save time and provide expert advice simultaneously. Similarly, scum produced by sugar factories and poultry litter from poultry pens need to be optimally utilized. In 2015 budget speech a very bold endeavour was carried out by introduction of organic agriculture. Unfortunately, many initiatives failed to gather momentum for lack of perseverance from the implementing authorities.
Some nice measures have been announced for the promotion of the livestock sector. Same have repeatedly been announced by successive past governments, but the sector has failed to take off but for the poultry and venison sectors undertaken by private entrepreneurs. The whole issue needs to be visited by the authorities and causes of failure of the sector in spite of heavy investments by government need to be identified and the way forward be eventually worked out.
In the context of diminishing dependence on fossil energy for production of electricity, it is strange that no mention had been made of ethanol blending with fuel for use in propelling of vehicles. India has successfully blended up to 10% ethanol with petrol and in so doing has been able to substantially reduce carbon emissions by vehicles and also economize on its fuel import bill. In the past, the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute (MSIRI) had been working on the subject and there was even an entrepreneur who was producing ethanol for exports. The knowhow is already existent yet we are running after costly investments. A re-engineering needs to be carried out.
Those measures won’t be sufficient to “boost local production of fruits and vegetables” and also to reduce dependence on importations as mentioned in para 50 and 47 respectively of the Budget Speech. Modernisation of the food production sector will not be possible under these conditions as the major limiting factor is land availability and also land use. Both Landscope and Land Use Division and even Ministry of Lands have not successfully attended to the crucial issue of Food Security and Agricultural Diversification. The 2008 Food Security Plan needs to be revisited and a National Strategy for the Concept which shall encompass all above and also the attraction of women and youth as well as community organisations in the process need to be worked out with the participation of all stakeholders that would also include the Blue Economy as in 2008; instead of “organizing a Salon de L’Agriculture to promote Mauritian Agriculture” as mentioned as concluding para on the subject in the Budget Speech 2022/2023.
