OPEN LETTER to the General Manager of the Agricultural Marketing Board

Danesswar Sarjua

Dear Sir,

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During our first meeting at St Pierre, I was the first person to support the above project and encourage all our colleagues to do so. As Government has already invested approximately Rs 370 million, during our meeting with French engineers at our factory some 2 years ago, I advised them regarding the details of the structure of the building and that it would be a mistake to copy France Rungis market.

I feel duty bound to send you, in writing, some points that I would like you to note.

Point No.1

As per your last “Exposé” every item of every transport will be weighed by AMB officers at the entrance and it will be the job of the AMB to remit the fruits and vegetables of every farmer to an auctioneer of his preference with a receipt.

It will consist of a lot of paperwork and human hours to handle more than 100 tons of fruits and vegetables every day.  So, I recommend that the goods be sent directly to the individual auctioneer, who has the responsibility to sell them on behalf of the farmer at the highest price possible, as it has been in the past and even today.

Point No.2 – Price fixing

A committee of 12 members, that has the responsibility to fix a minimum price of every fruit and vegetable for a period of one week, has been constituted.  As per economic laws of demand and supply, a price is determined by the volume of same at a given time on the market.  For instance, should the volume of tomatoes increase very fast, the price can only go down accordingly and no one can change this situation.   I therefore recommend maintaining the forces of demand and supply to interact as it is actually.

Point No.3 – The freedom to visit a market

By simply installing a camera at the entrance and at the exit, any information regarding anyone can be available and no registration is required.  This is real democracy.

Point No.4 – AMB and MRA

All parties like vegetable auctioneers, growers and retailers already submit their yearly return to the MRA regarding profit and loss. Thus, there is no need to duplicate matters and waste the time of these three groups of dealers.

Point No.5 – Small farmers and retailers that have no means of transport

These people have been transporting small volumes of products like “ti pima, lalo” and other items from the field to the auction market by motorcycle. Once the new wholesale market is operational, the ones in Vacoas, Port Louis and Flacq will be closed and it will be difficult for them to bring their products from Grand Gaube to Wooton. Same applies for buyers from snacks and restaurants who come to the auction market to buy vegetables.

The fact that the Government has invested approximately Rs 370 million in the construction of this new building I would recommend investing another Rs 30 million for the purchase of small lorries and vans that can operate in all the 20 constituencies to facilitate free transport.

Point No.6 – Market intelligence information

I was happy to learn that the Government has set up a committee, as this can only help growers to avoid wasting their produce at cheap prices when there is an over production. I am willing to join this meeting should my experience in international market operations be needed. Of note, I have travelled and visited 38 countries from New York to Melbourne and have noted how each market operates.

Point No.7 – Two auctioneers operating at Vacoas and Flacq are Mr Ramdewar and myself, and one namely Mr Sugrim is operating at Port Louis and Flacq.

It is clear that for more than 25 years we have encouraged farmers to supply us in both markets and we now expect that the volume of the two markets will be channelled to Wooton.  It will be unfair to offer only one space to these three auctioneers instead of two.  So I recommend that the AMB offers us two spaces as we have been working regularly for more than 25 years at these two places and would like to put on record that Mr Ramdewar and I are among the first two auctioneers who created the Flacq Auction market.

In case you need some clarification and more information please contact me.

Yours  faithfully.

* (TEL : D.S. 5 775 1054)

28th July 2020

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