Page 124 - مطالعه سرمایه گذاری در کشور موریس-07

122 Agricultural Sectors 1

Economic
Review of
the tourism,
Construction, This is a best prospect industry sector for this country.
and
agriculture Overview
Industries in Agriculture has been the bedrock of the Mauritius economy for decades. Starting from a
Mauritius
monocrop sector, it is now fully diversified with over 711 tariff lines being produced locally and
exported. While the industrial base of Mauritius has been considerably widened, the agricultural
and agro-processing sector remains a vital pillar of the economy as sugar cane fields continue
to dominate the landscape of the island. Keeping pace with the industrial development of the
country, this sector has undergone substantial modernisation, transformation and diversification.
For instance, the sugar industry has graduated into the cane industry with production of refined
and special sugars, alcohol and rum, while high value-added horticulture, fruits and vegetables
and a multitude of processed foods are now produced locally.
Mauritius is a net food importer,The sector has been servicing the needs of the population for
years but self-sufficiency nowadays stands at 23%. Today, the sector represents 3.3% of the
national economy, with sugar cane cultivation and sugar production as prime activities. In its
endeavour to reduce dependency on food imports, increase revenues and export earnings,
government is actively encouraging agricultural and agro-industrial development with the
introduction of budgetary measures which encourage import substitution, food processing, shelter
farming, as well as production of higher end products such as nutraceuticals. In order to promote
exports of agricultural products grown in Mauritius, Government has extended the Trade
Promotion and Marketing Scheme which offers a 40% rebate on air freight cost for exports of agro
& agri products to Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada and Middle East.
Due to its limited size, the absence of economies of scale, and the comparative advantage
of sugarcane in economic terms, Mauritius imports many of its essential food requirements. In
2020, agricultural imports accounted for $1.1 billion, representing 26.1 percent of total
Mauritian imports. France was the leading source of Mauritian agricultural imports with a mar-

1. www.trade.gov