New initiatives to make Mauritius an agro-business hub

The Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security is in the process of undertaking various initiatives to make the island an agro-business hub.

According to a report by the Agricultural Research and Extension Unit (AREU), theisland has a very diverse variety of fruits, with around 50 species or more that grow in the wild or in private yards. The ministry wants to increase the production of these fruits.

The government will lay stress on under-utilised fruit species such as the papaya, mango, starfruit, guava,avocado, passion fruit, strawberry and the neglected ones such as Coeur demoiselle, fig, pomegranate, breadfruit, jackfruit and mulberry.

They are targeting an area of 100 hectares for the production of 20 minor fruit species which will provide 3,000 tonnes of potential ‘exotic’ raw material by 2015.

An officer from the Ministry of Agro-Industry said that the production of these fruits will be encouraged according to an agroeconomic zone plan.

Thus, planters will be encouraged to grow the right fruit species in the right areas. “It is very important that we follow this plan so that the planters do not incur losses,” he said.

The minor fruits are likely to play an important role in the initiative of the World Health Organisation / Food and Agricultural Organisation to promote fruit consumption, which is known to prevent several non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes and cancer.

“The production of these fruits could promote eco-tourism and agro-tourism, which is on the government’s agenda for its new economic strategy.

Their display in hotel rooms, lobbies and restaurants could also increase the curiosity of tourists, promote their consumption and hence induce production for
export,” said the officer.

He added that they also want to develop agro-tourism. “Instead of using imported juice, fresh juice from local exotic fruits could be presented in restaurants as well as for welcome drinks,” he said.