The Prime Minister, Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, officially inaugurated the new Head Office of the Mauritius Co-operative Agricultural Federation (MCAF) Ltd in Bell Village this afternoon. Also present at the ceremony were the Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr. Mahen Kumar Seeruttun; the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Protection, Dr. (Mrs.) Marie Christiane Dorine Chukowry; the Minister of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, Ms. Naveena Ramyad; MCAF’s Chairperson, Mr. Kamless Seeam; along with other dignitaries and personalities.
Following this, Minister Naveena Ramyad took the stage to underline the Government’s contribution in providing 50 perches of land for the construction of the new MCAF Head Office in Bell Village. She pointed out that the building serves as a symbol of the planters’ contributions to Mauritius’ socio-economic growth. Minister Ramyad further elaborated on the Government’s efforts to modernise the sector through various schemes and grants aimed at helping planters enhance their business. She encouraged women and young individuals to join cooperative societies, fostering entrepreneurship and economic empowerment in the country.
Prime Minister Jugnauth, in his keynote address, emphasized the critical role that the Sugar Sector Strategic Plan has played in empowering small planters and ensuring their progress. He reaffirmed the Government’s unwavering support to the sugarcane industry, assuring that efforts would continue to ensure its sustained growth. The Prime Minister also touched on the need to diversify and develop other sectors alongside sugarcane to modernize the island’s economy further. He stressed the importance of importing foreign labour to assist the planters, citing the challenges posed by a shortage of local manpower.
The Prime Minister commended MCAF for its remarkable achievements since its inception in 1950 and lauded its significant contributions to the country’s development. He also reiterated that one of the Government’s primary goals is to continue improving the quality of life and well-being of the Mauritian population, through various schemes that benefit the entire society.
The Mauritius Co-operative Agricultural Federation Ltd, registered as a secondary Co-operative Society in August 1950, was established to represent small sugarcane planters and address challenges that they could not resolve independently or at the level of Co-operative Credit Societies.
