Africa-Press – Mauritius. An exhibition in the context of the International Tea Day, was organised by the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security, today, at the l’Esplanade of the Renganaden Seeneevassen Building in Port Louis.
The National Agricultural Products Regulatory Office, the Small Farmers Welfare Fund, growers, factories and importers of tea and tea products participated in the exhibition by showcasing their services and products.
On the same occasion, a pamphlet on the historical and benefits of tea was also launched in the presence of the Attorney-General, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Maneesh Gobin, the Principal Scientific Officer of the National Agricultural Products Regulatory Office, Mrs Malini Alleck, and other personalities.
The aim is to raise public awareness on the importance of tea and its various uses, and promote and foster collective actions by the Government and the private sector in favour of sustainable production and consumption of tea.
The theme for the day is ‘Bringing people together over a cup of tea’. In his address, Minister Gobin stated that the Day is observed on 21 May to raise awareness of the importance of tea production in the tea supply chain and was celebrated for the first time in 2020.
The tea industry is doing well and has witnessed a significant increase in its cultivation and production capacity except for the two years during the pandemic, he said.
Government, he underlined, is implementing several schemes to support tea growers and help the industry flourish in the face of upcoming challenges. He highlighted several Governmental schemes put in place to support tea growers.
A total of 1 757 tons of fertilisers (NPK and CAN) amounting to around Rs 44.8million is granted to some 1 100 tea growers every year under the Tea Sector Support Scheme, he indicated.
Estimated at Rs 26.8 million, the Winter Allowance introduced in 2018 is being reviewed every year to benefit some 1 100 tea planters yearly, the Minister added.
Government has also made provision for the Road Mending Scheme to the tune of Rs 6 million in Budget 2022-2023 to rehabilitate roads and build appropriate drainage systems in tea plantations at Nouvelle France, Grand Bois and Bois Cheri, he pointed out.
Other schemes to assist tea planers include: Mini Tea Harvester Scheme, Fertiliser Subsidy Scheme, Farmer’s Protection scheme, and Crop Loss Compensation Scheme/Agricultural Calamities Solidarity Scheme, amongst others.
For her part, Mrs Alleck observed that tea was introduced in Mauritius in 1760 and became a source of employment and livelihood for many Mauritians. The Day, she said, is being celebrated to acknowledge the contribution of different stakeholders in the tea industry as well as its contribution in the economic development and food security.
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