Sugar Industry Turmoil: 8,137 Planters Warn of “No Future” Without Foreign Workers

The Mauritian sugar industry’s future is hanging by a thread, with a critical labour shortage severely hindering the cane harvest and casting doubt over its very survival.

The stark warning came from Salil Roy, President of the Planters Reform Association, who emphatically stated: “Without foreign labour, there is no future” for the industry.

This alarming situation is the dominant concern following the general assembly of the Syndicat des Sucres (Sugar Syndicate).

Harvest Completion in Jeopardy

The urgent lack of manpower is hitting small planters particularly hard, with only two months remaining in the harvesting season.

Planters are “impatiently awaiting the arrival of foreign labour” to complete this year’s harvest, according to the original French text.

Despite the Government’s financial support—including Rs 350 million to maintain the sugar price at Rs 35,000 per tonne—small planters are struggling to “see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Government Vows Action Amid Deep-Seated Frustration

Minister of Agro-Industry, Arvin Boolell, has offered reassurance, promising planters that the much-needed foreign labour will arrive “in the shortest possible time.”

However, this promise is met with scepticism. Mr. Roy expressed disappointment that measures announced to address the problem, which has been flagged since January, are still “pending.”

He cited a Premier Minister’s previous pledge for “acceleration” in processing foreign labour files, handled jointly by the Ministry of Labour and the Economic Development Board (EDB), stating that the Minister “has not Walked the Talk.”

Production Estimates Fall Short

The crisis comes as sugar production this year is not expected to exceed 220,000 tonnes. This situation is compounded by planters reporting not only a lack of cutters but also a shortage of equipment to transport the harvested cane to the factory.

The Cost of Delay: Abandoned Land and Reduced Planters

The lack of labour has resulted in significant losses of unharvested land, which Mr. Roy called an “urgent” problem affecting cane, food security, and agriculture generally.

• A report from the SIFB indicates that in 2023, 637 hectares were not harvested, a figure that only slightly improved to 560 hectares in 2024.
• The number of registered planters has also fallen, from 8,658 in 2023 to 8,137 in 2024.
• Mr. Roy noted that land reduction does not just affect planters but also the sustainable production of clean energy that relies heavily on the sector.

Labour Requirements and Scope

The Sugar Syndicate Director, Devesh Dhukira, also highlighted the critical scope of foreign labour. Mr. Roy mentioned that he had heard of a need for 2,500 workers, but that only 1,000 are expected to arrive, with 1,500 reportedly arriving “immediately.”

He stressed the necessity of a timely solution and flexibility in recruitment, suggesting workers could come from any country involved in sugarcane and food production, mentioning Madagascar, Nepal, and African nations, in addition to the expected Indian workers.

The labour need is not just for cane cutters, but also for truck and Bell drivers, electricians, and other trades, as mechanisation is not possible for all land.

Mr. Roy warned that if the situation is not addressed promptly, it risks getting worse and will cause more small planters to abandon their fields.

Source: Le Mauricien