A handover ceremony of drip irrigation equipment to small holders, particularly vegetable growers, in the regions of Solitude and Pointe aux Piments, was held, this afternoon, at the Sub Office of the Irrigation Authority (IA), in Plaines des Papayes. The remittance of this technology, in fact, aligns with the project 'Building resilience against the Effects of Climate Change', closely undertaken and financed by the European Union's (EU) programme, the Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (GCCA+), and the Government of Mauritius.
The Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Teeruthraj Hurdoyal; the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mr Sharvanand Ramkaun; Member of Parliament, Mr Rajanah Dhaliah; Chairman, IA Board, Mr U. Dhuny; General Manager, IA, Mr G. Seetah; personnel of IA; small holders; and other personalities attended the event.
In his keynote address, Minister Hurdoyal underscored that farming is a noble profession and represents the mainstay of Mauritius' development. Yet, he deplored that the plantation of crops is fraught with unpredictable weather patterns and other external factors that are beyond control. On this score, he stressed on timely treatment, adequate care and regular crop maintenance as sine qua non for increased agricultural production.
Moreover, Mr Hurdoyal observed that the current farming population is ageing, hence, exacerbating the issue of agricultural manpower shortage in the country. To assuage this problem, mechanisms are being contrived to reinforce the labour force in the agricultural domain, he shared. Also, the Minister dwelt on the numerous schemes put in place and facilities provided by the Small Farmers Welfare Fund, the Irrigation Authority and the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute, in a bid to assist and gear up small-scale planters in the adoption of new adaptive technologies.
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Hailing the contribution of the GCCA+ programme, the Agro-Industry Minister informed that 80 per cent of the Rs 19 million project is being funded by the EU and the remaining 20 per cent by the Government of Mauritius. The drip irrigation system, he indicated, will ensure the efficient use of water, adding that the equipment will be remitted to some 150 small-scale vegetable growers of the two aforesaid regions.
Mr Hurdoyal, furthermore, discouraged the excessive usage of chemicals and instead, urged the small holders to make an optimum use of bio-fertilisers and -pesticides. He also underlined the importance of conforming to the MauriGAP standards, by engaging in sustainable agricultural practices, in order to gain the trust of consumers. Speaking of the soaring agricultural imports, he further remarked that abandoned land should be cultivated.
As for Mr Ramkaun, he emphasised on the significance of the drip irrigation method in minimising water loss.
Recalling the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the Russia-Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas wars, Mr Dhaliah, affirmed that small-scale planters have a crucial role to play in boosting self-sufficiency by ascertaining local crop production and consumption.
On his part, Mr Dhuny explicated on how the GCCA+ programme will be implemented on three existing irrigation projects in Solitude and Pointe aux Piments. A total of 205 hectares of land and 439 small planters will be concerned, he pointed out.
