500 arpents of land identified to boost local production

The
Attorney General, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Maneesh Gobin,
made this statement, today, during a site visit at the Rose Belle Sugar Estate,
and fields belonging to the State Investment Trust
Holdings Ltd (SITHL) at Deux Bras. 
He was accompanied by representatives of his
Ministry, the Rose Belle Sugar Estate and the SITHL as well as planters of the
region. 

The
site visit aimed at taking stock of actions initiated
and progress achieved as at date by relevant authorities to sustain adequate
food supply in the country.  The 500
arpents of land are mainly State land vested under the Ministry of
Agro-Industry and Food Security and land belonging to
the State Investment Trust (SIT) and the Rose Belle Sugar Estate Board. 

According to Mr Gobin,
main stakeholders such as the SIT, the Agricultural Marketing Board, the Food
and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute and his Ministry, are working
jointly to boost local production and sustain food self-sufficiency.  Even if there is no shortage of agricultural
products on the market, it is important that local production of food crops is
encouraged, he emphasised. 

To that end, he indicated, the Rose Belle Sugar
Estate has put some 50 arpents of land for the cultivation of food crops which
include more than a dozen varieties of vegetables, including cabbage, eggplant,
gourd, and cucumbers.  The SITHL, he pointed out, has also cleared around 50 arpents
of bare land for the cultivation of crops such as onions, green beans, cassava,
corn and sweet potatoes. 

Moreover, Government has
already cultivated over 150 arpents of land and before the end of 2020, the
authorities will attain the objective of cultivating 500 arpents of land, the
Minister highlighted.  He also deplored
the fact that over the years, local production has been in decline, and thus,
he made an appeal to the private sector and the population to adopt the culture
of farming which would contribute in boosting the cultivation of local food
crops. 

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