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Agricultural Research and Extension Unit

(FARC)

National Agriculture Youth policy Dialogue in Mauritius

Agricultural Activities for the Youth at the Agri cultural Research & Extension Unit

S.Ori

Senior Extension Officer

Agricultural Research & Extension Unit

(AREU)

Historical Background

Agricultural activities for the youth in Mauritius has been carried out byregrouping them at Agricultural Youth Clubs.

In 1970 the first Agricultural Youth Club (AYC) was formed at Midlandsunder the supervision of FAO’s Extension Experts, U.S. Peace Corps andUNICEF with the objective of arousing interest and providing training to theyouth.

All AYCs formed around the island were registered at the Agricultural YouthClub unit which was operating at the Ministry of Agriculture.

Clubs were registered on a yearly basis.

During the 1980’s and 90’s there were 60 to 70 AYCs and 25 to 30members at each club.

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Staffing

� Clubs were attended by 26 officers during & after

office hours.

� One Senior Extension Officer

� 1 Extension Officer

� 26 Extension Assistants

�

AYC’s found around the island

4 REGIONAL FEDERATIONS (North, South, East,& Central / West)

A National body MAURITIUS COUNCIL OF

AGRICULTURAL YOUTH CLUBS

AFFILIATED WITH

MAURITIUS COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE (MACOSS)

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Women & Youth Unit

� As from 1997 the AYC unit is at AREU.

� The unit has been renamed as the Women & youthUnit and it targets women as well.

� In line with Government policy to encourage agri-businesses AREU has also introduced AgriculturalEntrepreneur Clubs to target those who wished to startagricultural production on a commercial basis.

� In 2009 the Federation of Young Farmer Clubs weremerged at AREU .

Women & Youth Unit

� 73 agricultural clubs have been registered to the Women

Youth Unit this year.

� 30 Agricultural Youth Clubs (AYCs)

� 26 Agricultural Women Clubs (AWCs)

� 15 Agricultural Entrepreneur Clubs (AECs)

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WOMEN & YOUTH UNIT

• 4 officers are attending to these clubs

• Clubs are no longer regrouped at regional federations or at a national body.

• No affiliation at MACOSS

• Forming of an AYC & its Registration at the Women & Youth Unit is voluntary.

• We do not carry out any sensitisation or canvassing for clubs as we have limited resources

Agricultural Youth Clubs

AYC activities are no longer carried out after working hours.

� Existing members have grown up and new members do not show much interest in agriculture.

� The Youth are unavailable as they involved in private tuitions after school hours.

� They have other leisure activities such as T.V, video games various T.V channels, Computers, internet etc

� High cost to carry out activities after hours in terms of over time and travelling costs for AREU.

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Agricultural Youth Clubs

� This year we have registered 30 Agricultural Youth Clubs regrouping youth of age 12 to 25 with a total number of 868 members

� 20 clubs are found at colleges (State Secondary Schools,Private colleges, Loreto Convent Secondary School, MGSS,La Confiance college, London college and the newly joinedthe QEC , St. Joseph & Lycee Labourdonais).

� Two clubs at Rehabilitation Youth Centres, One at The Welfare Society of the Deaf and the others at various places around the island.

Aims and Objectives

• To initiate the club members in Agricultural production & Agro processing

� To develop their knowledge and skills so as to enable them toundertake agricultural activities with a professional approachusing new techniques of production.

� To encourage and enable them to set up their own agriculturalbusinesses and be self employed.

� To sensitise them on new agricultural techniques, equipments and crops.

� To train them in leadership and promote their sense of responsibilities.

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AYC Activities

Kitchen/School /Roof/Container gardening

AYC Activities

� Compost Making initiated at all clubs

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AYC Activities

Strawberries Production.

AYC Activities

Value Addition to Strawberries

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AYC Activities

Flower & Indoor Plants Production

AYC Activities

Mushroom Production

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AYC Activities

Poultry- Broiler Production

AYC Activities

Poultry Production - Egg Production

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AYC Activities

Small Animal Rearing

AYC Activities

Hydroponics – Loreto Convent College Port Louis & Medco

College

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AYC Activities

A-Frame – Universal College

AYC Activities

Production of planting materials - grafting, cuttings and

layerings

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AYC Activities

Seedling Production – initiated at all clubs

AYC Activities

Identification of Pests & Diseases

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- Biological control of pests & diseases

AYC Activities

AYC Activities

Promoting local fruit Production & Introduction to new

fruits

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AYC Activities

Sensitise on food security and encourage production of

pulses & root crops such as sweet potatoes, cassava & taro

AYC Activities -Training during School Holidays

5 members from each club are invited. 125 members are trained during each holidays.

Theory & Practical sessions.

Lunch, tea & snacks, training materials, planting materials on topic covered are provided as incentives

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AYC Activities

Training in Compost Making held this Wednesday (10.04.13)

AYC Activities� Conducted tours to sensitise on:

� agro processing,

� practical aspects of gardening and identification ofPests & diseases at Research stations, Model farms, andat planters farms,

� Mushroom production at mushroom unit

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Support & Incentives

� Technical support

through talks, demonstrations, power point presentations & film shows

� Field Visits

for advice & improvement.

� Free Leaflets & booklets

on all topics taken up at talks and demonstrations for implementation of Agricultural projects

Support & Incentives

� Free distribution of seeds & mushroom fruiting bags.

13 varieties of seeds distributed to all clubs

25 mushroom fruiting bags

� Free distribution of planting materials

300 cuttings of cassava

600 taro (arouille violette) plantlets

1000 cuttings of sweet potatoes

500 aloevera plantlets

700 strawberry runners

500 gladiolus bulbs

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Support & Incentives

� Free distribution of fruit trees/plantlets

25 guava trees (george)

30 olive

20 papaya

300 imported strawberry plantlets

100 acerola plantlets produced from cuttings

25 passion fruits

100 roselle plantlets

Support & Incentives

Distribution of acerolla plantlets

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Support & Incentives

�Free distribution of agricultural equipment

- seed trays

- bird net

- potting bags

- yellow sticky traps

- blue bags for bagging of bananas

- Jiffy pellet trays

- Plastic Mulch

Support & Incentives

Scholarship• Any member who has been at a club for 5 years can

benefit the Scholarship for studying any Agricultural subject at the University of Mauritius.

• All fees are paid plus a monthly pocket money of Rs 1500 .

• 2 members have already benefited from this scholarship

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• Activities for the youth are on going however there is aneed to strengthen them further.

• To-day our agriculture is facing major reforms.

• The coming young entrepreneurs in agriculture willhave a big responsibility in shaping a modern high-tech agricultural sector of to-morrow, which no doubthas to be in an organised framework.

• Therefore this National Agriculture Youth PolicyDialogue is well justified.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

FORFORFORFOR

YOUR YOUR YOUR YOUR

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