Republic of Mauritius- Strengthening National Food Safety and Plant Health Protection Systems in Mauritius

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Punchoo underlined that in line with Government’s Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals which are the foundation stones for global food security, the Final Project Workshop aims to promote safe and sustainable agriculture techniques for the benefit of farmers, consumers, the environment and as well as the future generations.  The objective is also to enhance plant protection capacity and food safety control systems for the provision of improved public services related to plant health protection and food safety and the preparation of a biosecurity plan, he said.

Furthermore, the Director recalled that his Ministry and the FAO have been collaborating since the late 1960s adding that the Technical Cooperation Programme was signed in August 2016 together with the Support for Revision of Forest Code.  The Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security, he pointed out, has benefitted from technical assistance from the FAO for the implementation of several projects in the fields of agriculture, fisheries and forestry.

Speaking about climate change, Mr Punchoo highlighted that Mauritius is witnessing the harsh consequences of global warming.  He, therefore, stressed on the need for the country to become resilient to climate change in order to mitigate its devastating effects along with enhancing food and nutritional security and promoting food safety and sustainable production systems.  He also cautioned on the use of chemical pesticides which pose risks to human and animal health and to the environment.

As regard the recent ‘Fall’ armyworm outbreak in Rodrigues, the Director expressed optimism that his Ministry will benefit from the assistance of the FAO to identify the best tactics to sustainably manage this invasive pest which can cause much damage.