Revival of the sugar sector: the importation of foreign labour in sight

At the 64th General Assembly of the Mauritius Cooperative Agricultural Federation Ltd (MCAF) in Réduit, Arvin Boolell, Minister of Agro-industry, sounded the alarm on the crisis facing the sugar sector.

The lack of skilled labour has become a pressing problem, compromising the production and profitability of plantations. In response to this situation, Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam confirmed a guaranteed price of Rs 35,000 (756 USD) per tonne of sugar to support planters.

Sugar production in Mauritius has seen a decline, from 600,000 to 225,000 tonnes today. This decline is attributed to several factors, including the loss of agricultural land and the dismantling of the sugar protocol. The number of available workers has also declined, from 10,000 to around 9,000, exacerbating the crisis in the sector.

Arvin Boolell stressed the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in the industry. In addition, he encouraged growers to assess the potential of their land, stressing the need for synergy between the corporate sector and producers. Faced with a significant labour deficit, the Minister announced plans to import up to a thousand foreign workers to revive the industry, with discussions underway with the High Commission of India to facilitate this process.

Fabrice David, Junior Minister for Agro-Industry, similarly discussed the possibility of mechanising certain tasks, although financial and logistical challenges remain. This development is necessary to modernise the sector, but it requires significant investment.

Kamlesh Seeam, President of MCAF indicates that for the 2025 harvesting campaign, the fields that cannot be mechanized will be taken care of by foreign workers, thus guaranteeing the continuity of sugar activity in Mauritius.