It is a pleasure for me
to be present for the second wheat harvest ceremony at Le Val. Last year wheat was first cultivated on an experimental
basis and this year the Rose Belle Sugar Estate has allocated some 12 acres of land for the growing of wheat. I thank the Rose
Belle Sugar Estate for participating in this project.
As
children we used to hear that wheat is grown mostly in Europe, Australia and
the States. Yet, today we have through
science and innovation managed to cultivate wheat in Mauritius. Wheat
and Rice are the most important staples that we import for consumption. Research
is currently being carried out on the possibility of cultivation of staples in
Mauritius. The establishment of rice farms in the south eastern part of the
island (Cluny) has been a success with a yield of over 1000 tons. My Ministry together with the MRC has initiated a study
to evaluate the potential of local wheat cultivation. This research is
important because even if it will be extremely difficult for us to produce all
our wheat requirements, it is essential that we can produce it even on a small
scale. Our research knowledge will not
only address the food security in the region, but can also be disseminated in
the region with Mauritius taking a lead in this field. I
would like to thank the staff of the Mauritius Research Council for their
relentless effort in making this project successful. I
hope that this fruitful collaboration among all these stakeholders continues
and that next year we will be able to see more progress especially in some of
the potential applications.
