Post Batsirai: Agriculture Marketing Board to import several vegetables

Following the passage of cyclone Batsirai, the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI) and the Small Farmers Welfare Fund (SFWF) have conducted preliminary surveys to assess the extent of damage caused to open fields and sheltered plantations.

Significant damage has been reported in vegetables, fruits and flowers plantations as a result of heavy and persistent rainfall as well as strong winds.

In a bid to meet local demand, the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security announced it will be providing 193 kg of tomato, bean, cucumber, squash and pumpkin seeds to small planters.

It will also import of vegetables such as carrot, bean and cabbage by the Agricultural Marketing Board (AMB) to cater for the shortage of supply on the market.

The AMB also also ordered some 1,018 tons and 716 tons of potatoes which are expected to reach Mauritius on 08 and 14 February 2022, respectively. The AMB would also import some 50 tons of carrots, 2.5 tons of beans and 100 tons of cabbages.