The Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security organised, yesterday, an exhibition in the context of World Food Day (WFD) 2023 at the Octave Wiehe Auditorium in Réduit. Institutions such as the Small Farmers’ Welfare Fund, the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute, the Agricultural Services, the Forestry Services, and the Agricultural Marketing Board participated in this event.
On the same occasion, a new variety of potato and chili was launched, followed by the handing over of cheques to tea growers under the Winter Allowance Scheme. A plaque to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the setting up of the Agricultural Services was also unveiled at the Head Office of the Agricultural Services in Réduit.
The Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun; the Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Teeruthraj Hurdoyal; the National Correspondent of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Mr Poojanraj Khurun; the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Miss Lisa Simrique Singh; the United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative, Miss Amanda Serumaga; and other personalities were present on the occasion.
The Vice-Prime Minister, : “today more than ever, it is time for our population to become autonomous and boost local production so that these crises do not affect our food security,” Mrs Dookun-Luchoomun observed. She emphasised the need to feed ourselves in a healthy and safe way, and in this context, underpinned the urgency to encourage and engage the youth and coming generations to join the agricultural sector. “This sector is a sustainable one and it is imperative that we finetune it for our own benefits,” Mrs Dookun-Luchoomun added.
Speaking on the theme of WFD 2023 ‘Water is Life, Water Is Food, leave no one behind’, both the VPM and Minister Hurdoyal emphasised the need to use water in a responsible manner as this will help in sustaining plantations during challenges faced due to climate change. Furthermore, they urged planters and farmers to adopt innovative and sustainable approaches such as bio-farming and smart agriculture with modern technology like drones to keep pace with the evolving world.
For his part, Minister Hurdoyal recalled that to counter the excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, his Ministry has been promoting the use of bio-farming and biofertilisers. He underscored the need to tackle challenges as regards food security through research and development in order to use water efficiently, increase production and, resilience.
Outlining other challenges related to food security including excessive dependence on importation, and wastage of food, the Minister reiterated the importance of becoming self-sufficient and promoting domestic cultivation. We produce only 30% of what we eat, spending some Rs 1.1 billion on importation, and this needs to be changed if we want to survive in case of worldly disasters that will affect our food security, he said.
On this note, the Minister affirmed the commitment of the Government and that of his Ministry to provide incentives and support planters and farmers so that they can boost their production levels and become autonomous.
