Youth Clubs Farmers and Agricultural Entrepreneurs to Harvest Fruits

It is certainly a far cry from the 1970s when agriculture had a certain appeal to members of youth clubs farmers. But in 2011 a competition organized by the Ministry of Agro Industry, under the aegis of the Agricultural Research Extension Unit (AREU), showed that the flame is not dead either.

Indeed, this contest has attracted almost all the 64 or 56 farmers clubs. It aimed to promote the participation of youth and women in the practice of farming activities and their commitment to agribusiness. The competition consisted of several activities, among others, the vegetable gardens, making roofs and container gardening, fruit production, spices and herbs, compost making, the implementation of projects breeding, production of strawberries, mushrooms and the cultivation of agricultural products according to the approach hyonique.

The interest of youth in agriculture has declined somewhat from the level reached in the 70s. In 1966 the young farmers clubs have been grouped together in a federation. The establishment of young farmers clubs results from the commitment of promoting youth led by the Peace Corps of the United States.

" This federation has played an important role in the development of the agricultural sector over the years, its members had been particularly active in the production of potatoes in the poultry and egg production , "said Satish Faugoo, Minister of Agro Industry at the ceremony of award of this contest in the auditorium of the Institute Rabindranath Tagore, Saturday, July 28, 2012.

At the time, the Ministry of Agriculture, currently Ministry of Agro-industry, has embarked on a program to attract the interest of young people under 18 years for agricultural activities. The implementation of this project was supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

" At one point, we reached the bar of the 64 agricultural youth clubs. There were 1,822 members , "said Satish Faugoo. "Today, that number is reduced to 30 clubs only. The membership is 874. It is unfortunate that the initial momentum of these years has slowed, and the government had to make an important decision in 2010 to reorganize the Young Farmers' Clubs in the Agro-Entrepreneurs Clubs . "

Satish Faugoo did not fail to sound the alarm on this situation altogether disturbing. He said farmers are not spared by the aging of the population that knows Maurice. " The average age of farmers in Mauritius is in the range of 55-60 years. The average life expectancy ranges from 65-70 years. The growing issue of aging farmers must be addressed to ensure, over time, agricultural production and, by extension, the availability of food in the country. Therefore, if young farmers do not replace their elders, 10 to 15 years in our ability to procure the required quantity of agricultural products will be seriously compromised . "

Over forty years later, women save the honor thanks to a growing interest in agricultural activities performed within their clubs. The country now has 25. They include a total of 757 members.

The Agricultural Research Extension Unit (AREU) has played a significant role in the integration of women into the development program of agriculture.

AREU activities are in fact directed towards the non-sugar. The goal is to put on the market for quality food products. The AREU is part of these research organizations whose work leads to the practice and meet specific needs and specific. Thus the members of these clubs women have benefited from technical assistance from the AREU. They were trained to enable them to set up agricultural projects of their choice.

Year after year, the agricultural clubs have evolved over time. Some have dared to move from traditional agriculture to agribusiness. The concept of manufacturing and distribution of agricultural products in a market increasingly involves many sophisticated operations. Some of these clubs have discovered the advantages that contain activities related to production, storage, processing, distribution and processing of raw materials. This new environment has allowed the emergence of 17 clubs of agricultural entrepreneurs. These clubs include 207 members.