Africa-Press – Mauritius. The second phase of the Support Towards the Operationalisation of the Southern African Development Community Regional Agricultural Policy (STOSAR) project in Mauritius, was launched this morning, in Ebene, by the Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, Dr Arvin Boolell.
The initiative is a joint collaboration of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, the European Union (EU), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Junior Minister, Mr Fabrice David; the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the EU to Mauritius, Mr Oskar Benedikt; the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Mauritius and Seychelles. Ms. Lisa Simrique Singh; and the FAO Representative for Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles, Mr Mbuli Charles Boliko, were also present on the occasion.
In his address Minister Boolell underpinned Africa’s potentials to becoming a powerhouse, emphasising that it is poised to become a key source of food supply. As regards Mauritius, he deplored that it is currently a net food importing country, calling for the need to step up efforts to optimise utilisation of resources for the democratisation of the economy.
Speaking about the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme which essentially aims to help African countries reach a higher path of economic growth through agriculture-led development, the Minister stated that it is crucial to forcefully and meaningfully address key challenges such as non-tariffs barriers to fully benefit from the programme.
According to Dr Boolell Mauritius has all the favourable conditions including workforce, technology and research and access to information to strengthen its agriculture and food systems. “It is equally important for the region to cluster and work together to bolster agro-industrialisation”, he said.
As for Mr Oskar Benedikt, he reiterated EU’s steadfast support to Mauritius to promote agriculture development. Outlining the country’s unique agricultural challenges and its vulnerability to climate change, he said that the Project will help authorities to address related challenges and safeguard food security, promote sustainable production and ensure market access for local produce.
FAO Representative Mr Boliko rejoiced that the project opens a new chapter for regional cooperation in agriculture as it brings together Governments, regional institutions and development partners to make agriculture a driver of resilience and promote inclusive growth in the SADC region.
STOSAR II
The STOSAR II (2024- 2028) is a EUR 10 million initiative funded by the EU under the Development of Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture programme. The project builds on the achievements of STOSAR I (2018-2024) to accelerate the transformation of agriculture and food systems across the 16 SADC member states, including Mauritius.
The project aims to strengthen Sanitary and Phytosanitary systems across the SADC region to enable safe, competitive, and sustainable trade in agro-food commodities.
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