Registered planters who have suffered from cyclone Freddy in Mauritius will benefit from free seedlings, compensation schemes, and subsidies in two weeks’ time to rehabilitate and restart their plantations, Attorney-General, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Maneesh Gobin, has announced.
His statement came after he toured the eastern regions of Belle Mare and Trou d’Eau Douce to take stock of damages in the fields caused by cyclone Freddy and the recent heavy rains.
Minister Gobin said that a survey had noted that stem breakages, flower drops, water logging, and stress of plants. According to the assessment, crop damages varied on average from 25 to 90% depending on the region, fields’ topography, the type of crop, and the crop stages.
Several Governmental measures exist to relieve planters of their losses and to help restart their cultivation.
They include: financial support; provision of a subsidy of Rs 3,000 per arpent up to a maximum of five arpents under the Subsidy on Agricultural Mechanisation Scheme; subsidy of 50% under the Fertiliser Subsidy Scheme, 60% under the Bio Farming Support Scheme and 75% under the Locally Produced Fertiliser Subsidy Scheme; Scheme for replacement of nets/plastics covers for sheltered farms; and loan facilities by the Development Bank of Mauritius to affected registered farmers at preferential interest rate of not more than 3%.
The Minister added that the government will come up with immediate, short, medium and long-term measures to support the planter’s community and the agricultural sector.
Source: GIS Mauritius
