The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, inaugurated, this afternoon in Bell Village, the new Head Office of the Mauritius Co-operative Agricultural Federation (MCAF) Ltd.
The Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Mahen Kumar Seeruttun; the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Protection, Dr (Mrs) Marie Christiane Dorine Chukowry; the Minister of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, Ms Naveena Ramyad; the Chairperson of MCAF, Mr Kamless Seeam; and other personalities were also present on this occasion.
In his address, Prime Minister Jugnauth highlighted that the Sugar Sector Strategic Plan has played a crucial role in ensuring that small planters could reach where they are today. He reassured that the planters' community can continue to rely on Government's support towards the sugarcane industry to ensure its continuous progress.
The Prime Minister nonetheless conceded that, along with the progress of the sugarcane industry, other sectors will have to be developed in order to further modernise our island. He seized the opportunity to stress on the need to import foreign labour to help the planters' community due to the lack of local manpower.
Furthermore, he commended the MCAF for all its achievement since 1950 and its significant contribution to the country's development. He also spoke about the numerous schemes implemented for the whole population and reminded that one of Government's priorities is to continue to enhance the wellness and quality of life of all citizens.
For her part, Minister Ramyad underscored that Government provided the MCAF with 50 perches of land for the construction of its new Head Office in Bell Village. She remarked that this building bears testimony to the contribution of planters in the socio-economic development of the country.
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She moreover stated that Government has implemented several schemes and provided various types of grants so as to ensure that planters can further modernise and enhance their business. These measures, she outlined, demonstrate Government's commitment to continue to support small planters around the island.
In addition, Minister Ramyad appealed to interested women and the youth to join co-operative societies in order to be able to launch their business in the future.
As for MCAF's Chairperson, he dwelt on the various services offered by the MCAF, such as the provision of mechanical harvesting services to planters. He also commended Government for its continuous support to sugarcane planters in order to enable them to remain competitive.
It is recalled that the MCAF was registered as a secondary Co-operative Society in August 1950. It was founded to act as the spokesman of small sugarcane planters who were facing a lot of problems which they could neither solve nor discuss, whether individually or at the level of Co-operative Credit Societies.
