Work Package 4: Development of a sustainable and inclusive value-chain for smallholder
dairy farmers in the Republic of Mauritius
VALIDATION WORKSHOP HELD ON 15TH OCTOBER 2021
MAIN OUTCOMES OF VALIDATION WORKSHOP:
Land availability
First and foremost, the Land Division Unit under the Ministry of Housing should
propose a different approach to give/lease land to the cattle breeders. For example, as
reported cattle breeders usually wait for six to eight years after making application to
obtain the land for livestock production. This eventually leads to drop down in the
livestock production.
Nowadays, the era we are currently living the cultivation land and forest are being
destroyed and new infrastructures such as offices, buildings and others are
constructed. Thus, this result reflects on the number of cattle breeders and animals is
decreasing day by day.
Feed/ Fodder
Feed or fodder is one of the biggest problems encountered by breeders. The reasons
include, breeders cannot afford, cultivation of forage is not easy as land is use for
other purposes, climate change and others.
It is important to mention that FAREI produced their own plantation (forage) and they
formulate their own feeds for all animals. For example, Guatemala.
Difficult for some farmers to hire workers to cut and carry the forage to their farm.
Reasons include: workers are not interested anymore, cannot pay the workers as Rs
500 per hour, cost of travelling for the cut and carry especially the increase in the fuel
market.
Husbandry practices
Long time ago in the early 60’s, there was around 60,000 cows and nowadays only
3600 cows.
Training programme in terms good hygienic practices, good agricultural practices to
the cattle breeders is a must to maintain yearly.
Animal diseases for example mastitis’s and veterinary services are very poor as they
do not turn up when a phone call is made by the cattle breeders.
With the problem raised with the veterinarians, the farmers are subjected to buy their
own medication and perform the injection themselves to their animals.
Artificial Insemination practices
As reported, at the level of veterinary division, they do not perform different trials
before using the antidote on the breeder’s animal. This impact can have both positive
and negative results.
Lack of medicines.
The semen injected caused much more damage to the animals.
Milk production and quality
In Mauritius, the milk production is only at 2% as too dependent on importation.
FAREI, however has its own milk plant processing and they provide facility in terms
of training young entrepreneurs, for example from ‘alouda’ to ‘mozarella’. Another
example, the Maurilait industry order at least 400 litre of milk per week from FAREI
to manufacture different milk products but only ‘Perrette’ is prepared using raw fresh
milk.
Technically in terms of nutrition and dairy value chain to produce milk and milk
products is feasible but the cost of production must be re-evaluated.
GAP, GMP and GHP are essentials in every stage of production.
