Sarvesh photography

1st Edition

The

Agriculturist

UoM Agricultural Society

Faculty of Agriculture

University of Mauritius

May 2013

Des

igne

d by

Zai

nal K

aree

mun

2

Table of Contents

Page 3 - Editorial message

Page 4 – Message of the President of Agricultural Society

Page 5 – The UoM Agricultural Society

Page 6 – Message of the President of Students’ Union

Page 7 – Message of the Faculty Representative

Page 8 – Retired Senior Technical Assistant

Page 9 – CAADP

Page 11 – Full planet, Empty plates

Page 12 – Event: Ile aux Benitiers

Page 13 – An insight of agriculture

Page 14 – Event: Visit to JNH, Rose Belle

Page 15 – Student experience in agriculture

Page 16 – Event: Agricultural Fair

Page 17 – Pesticides & bees

Page 19 – Event: Anou Bouzer

Page 20 – About GM foods

Page 21 – Event: Contribution at PAWS

Page 22 – Poem & Anecdote

Page 23 – The University Farm

Page 25 – Editorial Team message

Editorial Team

Mr. Lobin Keshwar

Miss. Huda Nazeer

Miss. Anusha Seechurn

Mr. Indradev Ramsurn

Miss Veshali Barah

Miss Zama Mohamed

CONTRIBUTORS

Mr. Drupnarainsing

Dabeedial

Technical assistant

Mr. Shane Hardowar

Lecturer,

Faculty of Agriculture

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The Agricultural Society is launching its first ever

Newsletter and we promise to bring you a bunch of

tasty information and bits of eye-catching snaps!

This new achievement has come forward because

we wanted to give you a clearer view and

understanding of our aims and successes.

Till date, we have numerous activities added up to

our accomplishment board, which are of

educational, recreational and charity-oriented

nature. The AS invites you to thoroughly

rummage our newsletter. We want you to be part

of it!

We all know that agriculture has been, long ago, in

the hands of uneducated people and was thus

considered mediocre. Today, this is changing and

we shall contribute to giving this sector a whole

new meaning. Innovation whilst enjoying as much!

So, go ahead and have a pleasurable perusal! This

one’s going to be fruitful, joyful, and if you have

ever been a participant, it might bring about

nostalgia!

More to come!

The Editing Team

Editorial Message

4

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 2012/ 13

ZAINAL KAREEMUN

Dear friends,

The UoM Agricultural Society 2012/13 has the pleasure to

launch a first ever e-newsletter; The Agriculturist. It is indeed with great

pleasure and honour for me to convey my message and associate myself

with such a praiseworthy effort. The Agriculturist is to emphasize the

importance of the agricultural sector and to arm you with the activities

that the UoM Agricultural Society has previously organised.

In light with the importance of Agriculture in our everyday lives and its

contribution to our island, which many youngsters do not realise, the

Agricultural Society has in the past years organised and participated in

activities like the World Food Day, Clean-up Campaigns, World

Environment Day, World Water Day, Agricultural Fair, Career-Oriented

Job Fairs, to mention a few.

I strongly believe that kNOw Agriculture kNOw Life. Therefore, as the President of this Society, I

will definitely make sure that the importance of agriculture is promoted and youngsters’ perception

towards this sector is changed on the University Campus.

Big applause to the Editing Team behind this first ever newsletter of the Society. This masterpiece

verily reflects their hard work and dedication. I hope that ‘The Agriculturist’ becomes a regular

feature entrenched in the UoM Agricultural Society. I seize this opportunity to wish you all a

prolific journey among the Family of the University of Mauritius and all the best in your

endeavours.

Best wishes,

Zainal Kareemun

President,

UoM Agricultural Society 2012/13

Faculty of Agriculture

The UoM Agricultural Society is a dynamic group lead by the students from the Faculty of

Agriculture. The team’s aim is to work together and promote agriculture on the Faculty and

Campus level. The Society is a platform for our students to express themselves and get the

opportunity to participate in many activities. The main theme of the Society is Agriculture and it’s

reflected in the logo, that is;

The production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi,

The raising of domesticated animals.

Every year a career oriented job fair is organised with the aim of creating links between the

companies affiliated to the agricultural sector and our students. Also other events like the Street

Soccer, Outings, Domino competitions are organized for the leisure of our students.

The Society participated in events like the World Food Day and World Environment Day on the

national level where various activities as quiz, sketch and charitable lunch were organized.

With the launching of the first edition of this Newsletter we are aiming at targeting and creating

awareness among youngsters about the importance of agriculture in the development of our

country towards self-sufficiency. Being the adults of tomorrow we are willing to bring our small but

valuable contribution for the next generations.

INTRODUCTION & HISTORY OF

UoM AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

Some Executive members of

Agricultural Society

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MESSSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

STUDENTS’ UNION 2012/13

Dear readers,

It is with great pleasure to address to you today through the

Agricultural Society Newsletter May 2013, which is a very

promising way for the students' organising body to address its

community and through which UoM Students would have

awareness of the current activities of the Society.

On behalf of the university, the Students’ Union is proud of

the Agricultural Society, for which it has been able to

conduct extracurricular activities holding up to its title and

image - such were the Agricultural Fair, a day at PAWS and other benevolent activities, creating

the perfect platform for members and students to acquire enriching skills and developing a sense

of the responsibility.

The publication of this newsletter is the very indication of the stepping activeness of the Society

over the past few semesters, on campus and off campus as well. It is very encouraging to

mention that the participation and involvement of students of FOA into the Society's event have

being on a positive gradient.

On a honored note, the Students’ Union encourages the students of the Faculty of Agriculture to

contribute to the Society and wishes the best for prosperity of the pride of the FOA – UOM

Students’ Agricultural Society.

Yours Sincerely,

S. M. Hafeez TOOFAIL

President,

UOM Students’ Union 2012/ 13

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MESSAGE FROM FACULTY FOA

REPRESENTATIVE

Dear friends,

It is a great honour for me to convey my message to you, in this first ever

newsletter of the Agricultural Society. Indeed after the success of the

online magazine, AS is now innovating with the launching of a newsletter.

Firstly I would like to congratulate the editing team who has been working

very hard to make this newsletter a reality. This newsletter is of immense importance since it

emphasizes the importance and need of agriculture in the world. As far as Mauritius is concerned,

agriculture is a major economic pillar of our country and many of our local people are earning their living

with this sector which is indeed of great importance to Mauritius.

This rhyme with the effort of the Government to make the country self sufficient in some of the local

foods which we can produce. Today the country is more than 33% self sufficient in its food requirement.

Though we have attained self-sufficiency in a certain number of crops, the Government is looking

forward for this percentage to be increased. It has been possible due to the agricultural diversification

programs which has helped us to reduce our dependency on the sugar cane industry. This will reduce to

great extent our import costs and increase employment creation. We have the resources (land, labour

and capital), we just need someone to move forward to make the first step. We have company like

Medine ltd which is producing vegetables at large scales, it would have been much better if we have

more like them in the country. I hope the message has been passed guys. We can do it. The future is in

our hands.

I definitely feel honored to associate myself with such a praiseworthy effort of you guys. Seeing this

Faculty as our little Family and keeping this tie all the way along the journey gives me courage. Again I

wish to congratulate the AS team for the great job they have been doing till now. I assure you that you

will get my full support wherever needed guys.

Best wishes,

CHOCALINGUM Murugen

Faculty Students’ Representative

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Retired Senior Technical Assistant

Mr. Drupnarainsing Dabeedial,

Also known as Ashok, he is one of the

oldest technical assistant at the Faculty of

Agriculture. He retired in November 2012 as

Senior Technical Assistant, at the age of 62

leaving behind him 40 years of enriching

experience.

Mr. Ashok joined the University of Mauritius on

the 8th January 1973 as technical assistant. He

was permanently appointed in June 1974 and

then the Faculty of Agriculture was known as

the School of Agriculture, and things were

different.

During his years spent at the Faculty, Mr. Ashok

was always keen to work under the

responsibility of academicians like Dr. Mohan

Madunsing Galowalia, Dr. David Charles West

and Prof. Sunita Facknath. He was well

appreciated for doing his job with

full responsibility and satisfaction by academics

and his colleagues. He has always considered

himself to be an instrument to the University.

He acquired lots of experience and learnt a lot

while working at the University. Apart from

practical classes, he also worked on research

projects and in the training of technicians at the

Faculty.

Moreover, Mr. Ashok was always good at heart.

He was always welcoming queries from

students, academics and other colleagues and

was available to them for any help. He guided

and helped students in their research projects,

be it; BSc. or MSc. degrees. He considered

students to be the “most needed persons” than

staff because without students, there would not

be the need for the existence of the University

and himself. This is why, students used to

consult Mr. Ashok first whenever they had any

problem.

Over his 40 years at the Faculty, Mr. Ashok

invented a mouse / rat catching system using

biological products available locally; he also

invented the Stomoxys (stable fly) trap and hard

worker as he is, even retired, he is still working

on projects related to the entomology on his

own.

Message of Mr. Ashok to the Agricultural Society

“I was very happy when I learnt that students of the Agricultural Society have launched a

newsletter. I had always been wishing for the existence of such a society. I wish all the members

good luck in their endeavors and hope they will always keep it moving ahead even after they leave

the University.”

Message of Mr. Ashok to readers

“Research is not something extraordinary. There exists different ways to conduct researches, but

the best research is through OBSERVATION!”

9

Mr. Shane Hardowar

Node Coordinator of the Food Agriculture and Natural Resources

Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN),

(The Node Hosting Institution in Mauritius is the Faculty of

Agriculture, University of Mauritius.)

1. Introduction to the CAADP process

Since 2000, agriculture has been recognized as

the mainstay and key driver of economic

growth, food and nutritional security and

poverty alleviation in Africa. In ratifying the

Maputo Declaration of 2003, African Heads of

State and Government committed to effecting

policy changes that will improve agricultural

and rural development in Africa in the bid to

meet Millennium Development

Goal 1 which seeks to halve poverty by 2015,

increase food security and eradicate hunger.

These included African Governments’

commitment in the allocation of at least 10

percent of national budgetary resources for

agriculture and rural development.

The main objective of the Comprehensive

Africa Agricultural Development

Programme (CAADP) is to assist African

countries reach a higher path of economic

growth through agriculture-led development and

attainment of at least 6% annual sectoral growth.

CAADP will bring agriculture back to the centre

stage of economic Development and allow the

agricultural sector to contribute to food, nutrition

and income security.

The framework works on 4 main pillars:

Pillar1: Land and Water Management

Pillar2: Rural infrastructure and trade

(market access)

Pillar3: Food Security

Pillar4: Agricultural Research and Extension

Although the New Partnership for Africa’s

Development (NEPAD) CAADP

implementation has accelerated over the past

few years, to date only 30 out of 54 countries on

the continent have signed their National CAADP

Compacts. The countries with signed CAADP

compacts are at different stages of implementing

the CAADP process, ranging from agreeing on

priority investment areas, designing

comprehensive bankable investment plans,

discussing with development partners and

investors, as well as designing implementation

plans for rolling out the investment plans.

Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development

Programme (CAADP) in Mauritius

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2. CAADP in Mauritius

Mauritius is among the few African countries

which have not yet signed the CAADP compact

but is in the process of preparing for the launch

of CAADP and signing of the compact. The

CAADP buy-in process started in 2010 and a

focal person was appointed namely Dr

Dhaneshwar Dumur, Technical Adviser,

Ministry of Agro-industry and Food Security.

In order for Mauritius to move fast with this

process it has to benchmark with countries

which are at advanced stages in the CAADP

process for instance Tanzania, Malawi and

Rwanda.

Two CAADP experts from COMESA, namely

Dr Sam Kanyarukiga and Dr Nalishebo Meebelo

were in Mauritius recently and delivered a

presentation on CAADP to key stakeholders in

Mauritius on the 13th March 2013. According to

the experts, Mauritius will be ready to launch the

CAADP in April 2013 and the compact could be

signed this year itself by the Government,

Representatives of Farmers, Regional Economic

Communities, Private Sector, Development

Partners and Civil Society Organisations and

Non-State Actors.

3. CAADP sensitization and activities

Sensitization Campaigns which started in 2012

will be ongoing at the Faculty of Agriculture

during the months of February to April on the

CAADP issue with the involvement of the

Youths, NGOs, Researchers, Non–State actors

and the Government. Women association also

will be included among the stakeholders.

Executive Members of the Agricultural Society

Club of the University were recently invited to a

Sensitization Campaign on the CAADP which

was held on Monday, 18th February 2013 at the

Faculty of Agriculture.

A key principle of the CAADP agenda is to

ensure multi-stakeholder participation; this

includes Non-State Actors (NSA) such as Civil

Society Organizations (CSOs), farmer and

producer organizations, researchers,

parliamentarians, the private sector and the

media. The FANRPAN local Node will be

expected to assist with organizing Multi

Stakeholder Roundtables and give its full

support to the CAADP team once CAADP is

implemented.

Agricultural Society at CAADP campaign

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Full planet, empty plates

- The new geopolitics of

food security

"World agriculture is now facing challenges unlike anything

before," writes Lester Brown.

World food prices have more than doubled. Lester.R. Brown

brings the threat of famine and social unrest starkly up-to-date.

Brown exposes the business as usual approach to global food

production, under which flat-line production is failing to keep up

with steeply rising demand. Soil, water and amenable temperature

are key to plant growth but erosion, emptying aquifers, drying

rivers, erratic or failed rains and rising temperatures clearly

prejudice the sustaining of yields, let alone increases.

As established in global granaries, yields have suffered from

drought and there appear to be no corrective strategies beyond

restriction of exports and acquisition of land overseas to meet

domestic needs. The land bought or leased is almost invariably in countries already struggling to achieve food

security, themselves dependent on food aid.

Demand for grain has doubled in the past decade, both to feed the 219,000 extra mouths that join the global

family every day and to feed the livestock and poultry that are needed to satisfy the demand of some 3 billion

consumers who are 'moving up the food chain'.

In addition to the uncertainty of meeting future needs should there be a poor season in a major grain producing

country or region, current availability of grain falls short of needs. Where populations already spend 50 per

cent or more of income on food, further price increases can only lead to more hunger.

As the end of the century began to change, we seen prices all time high, but it is not the situation that is going

away, the growth and the world demand for grain has now double, the principle behind is that many people is

moving up the food chain at the same time, they are consuming more of grains as livestock products. Most of

the price depends on the transport, processing, and marketing.

With food scarcity driven by falling water table, eroding soils, and rising temperatures, control of arable land

and water resources is moving to center stage in the global struggle for food security.

Mr. Lobin Keshwar

Bsc Agriculture (spp in land and water management) Year 2

Faculty of Agriculture, University Of Mauritius

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Page 9

Event 1:

Ile Aux

Benitiers

13

AN INSIGHT OF AGRICULTURE

Agriculture: a mixture of soil and living organisms. Whether be a housewife, an engineer or a

farmer we all have a different perspective on agriculture.

For a housewife the soil is dirt, for the engineer the soil is the basis of construction and for the

farmer it is sacred for his source of living. Agriculture is divided into two main groups; the plants

and the animals. The plants are those that are cultivated and this includes for example, plants for

food, medicinal plants, endemic plants, decorative plants among others. Animals mainly include

livestock such as cattle, pig and goat among many of them.

The history of agriculture begins from the times of our ancestors. In order to survive harsh

conditions and to have continued supply of food for survival, people used to stored food but it

did not last long. Therefore the need arise to have persistent supply of fresh food. Hence

domestication and cultivation start to see the sun.

After years of evolution, this concept has not changed. In fact, new ways have been implemented

to maintain the supply of food. In the contemporize world, new techniques have been devised to

enable us to have abundant supply of fresh food. Examples of such techniques include

biotechnology, biochemistry, aquaculture, pest and disease control and animal science and

production.

Each of these techniques aims to increase productivity and quality of various crop and livestock.

Biotechnology for instance help in-vitro production of plant, from a single mother plant we can

have millions of clones in a very short lapse of time. Pest and disease control enable to eliminate

the potential treats that contribute in the reduction of quality food.

Man cannot survive without the intervention of agriculture. Without the concept of green

revolution, the world would have been plunge in famine. The meat, vegetable or fruit we eat do

not come from the wild state but rather from someone who cultivates or rears it. If shelter and

clothes were not available, mankind would have probably survived but without food (…)

Mr Vagish Ramborun

BSc (Hons) Agriculture (Spp: Land and Water Management) Year 2

Faculty of Agriculture

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Page 10

Event 2:

Visit to Jawaharlal

Nehru Hospital

(JNH), Rose Belle

15

A Student’s Experience in Agriculture

Personally, Agriculture is a world, where I learnt how to find a key to a broad future. This is the

only field, where I learnt how life began, through a single green plant. Planting, hard working,

perseverance and putting all my love in growing a new plant - it’s like giving birth to a new life

as it began several millenniums ago by the Mother Earth.

Each activities being performed in the Faculty of Agriculture, allowed me to know more about

how the real world functions and a plus knowledge in the business field of Agriculture. One may

not know the importance of Agriculture, but soon after acquiring and experiencing practical

together with theory, one may see a bright future in this field. Landscaping is another fascinating

topic related to Agriculture. I have been inculcated much information (designing, landscaping

plants, native plants, exotic plants, etc) about the landscaping world and how it opens up to

several business opportunities. In my course, other than Landscaping, I got the occasion to learn

about several agricultural systems and applied technologies that were already present in

Agriculture.

Besides all these, several job prospects can be found in Agriculture. Technology works with

evolution and so does Agriculture.

As we say, after each dark period, there’s a ray of light; similarly, without a plant, nowadays

food processing could have been a difficult task.

No Agriculture = No Food!

Go Green, Long Live Agriculture.

Mohnish Seewoonarain (Yash)

Bsc (Hons) Crop Technology (Spp: Landscape Management) Year 3

Faculty of Agriculture

University Of Mauritius

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Page 12

Event 3:

Agricultural

Fair

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Pesticide makes bees forget the scent for

food, new study finds

Widely used pesticides have been found in

new research to block a part of the brain

that bees use for learning, rendering some of

them unable to perform the essential task of

associating scents with food. Bees exposed to

two kinds of pesticide were slower to learn or

completely forgot links between floral scents

and nectar.

These effects could make it harder for bees to

forage among flowers for food, thereby

threatening their survival and reducing the

pollination of crops and wild plants.

The findings add to existing research that

neonicotinoid pesticides are contributing to the

decline in bee populations.

It has also been revealed that a separate

government field study on the impact of the

pesticides on bees was seriously compromised

by contamination because the chemicals are so

widespread in the environment.

The government put the field study at the heart

of the UK's resistance to a Europe-wide ban on

the controversial pesticides earlier this month.

The UK was one of nine out of 27 member

states that opposed suspending some uses of

the insecticides across the EU, after

environment secretary Owen Paterson said, "I

have asked the EC to wait for the results of our

field trials, rather than rushing to a decision".

On Wednesday, his department said more field

research was needed.

The new findings on the effect of pesticides on

bee brains showed that within 20 minutes of

exposure to neonicotinoids the neurons in the

major learning centre of the brain stopped

firing. Christopher Connolly at the University of

Dundee, who led the peer-reviewed work

published in the online journal Nature

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Communications, said it was the first to show

the pesticides had a direct impact on pollinator

brain physiology.

A parallel peer-reviewed study on the

behaviour of bees subjected to the same

insecticides found the bees were slower to

learn or completely forgot important

associations between floral scent and food

rewards. "Disruption in this important function

has profound implications for honeybee colony

survival, because bees that cannot learn will not

be able to find food," said Dr Geraldine Wright,

at Newcastle University, who led the work.

The scientists who carried out the separate field

study for the Department for Environment Food

and Rural Affairs admitted it was "not a

statistically robust study" because of the

contamination issues. The trial results, which

have not been peer-reviewed, showed that 20

hives of bumblebees meant to act as pesticide-

free controls in the experiments were

significantly contaminated owing to the

widespread presence of the chemicals in the

environment. Neonicotinoids are near

ubiquitous in modern agriculture and earn

billions a year for their manufacturers. But a

series of high-profile scientific studies in the last

year has increasingly linked them to harmful

effects in bees. Declines in bees and other

pollinators, which fertilise three-quarters of the

world's food crops, have been linked to habitat

loss and disease as well as pesticides.

Julian Little of Bayer, which makes one of the

neonicotinoids tested in the government study,

said: "We welcome field studies and once again,

when such studies are carried out, there does

not appear to be a link between neonicotinoid

seed treatment use and poor bee health."

But Professor David Goulson, at the University

of Stirling, and whose study in the peer-

reviewed journal Science showed an 85% loss in

queens produced, said: "This study had no

controls and all we can really learn from it is

that bumblebee nests placed on farmland, even

on farms currently using no neonicotinoids, are

likely to be exposed to a cocktail of these

chemicals. Ministers should certainly not be

basing any decisions on this." He added that

while UK ministers and industry criticised

studies in which the pesticide doses were

controlled, the failure of the field study showed

the benefits of that approach.

Alongside the study, the government published

its own assessment of a review in January by

the European Food Safety Authority, which

labelled three neonicotinoids an unacceptable

danger to bees that feed on flowering crops,

and was the basis of the proposed EC ban.

Defra's chief scientist Ian Boyd said: "Decisions

on the use of neonicotinoids must be based on

sound scientific evidence. Our assessment

demonstrates that while we cannot rule out the

possibility of neonicotinoids affecting

pollinators we cannot be clear as to the extent

of their impact. I therefore support the

conclusions that further data based on more

realistic field trials is required."

Sandra Bell of Friends of the Earth said: "Bee

health is far too urgent to wait until more

research has been completed – restrictions

should be placed on these pesticides until bee

safety can be assured." There have been

previous suspensions in France, Italy, Germany

and Slovenia.

Source: The Guardian

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Event 4:

Anou

Bouzer

20

The More GM Food You Eat, The Less Human

You Become!

n the past Monsanto has said that genetically modified seeds and foods are presumed to be safe. Monsanto said:

“There’s no need to test the safety of DNA introduced into GM crops.” He also claimed that “there is no need for or value in testing the safety of GM foods in humans”. But this doesn’t mean they are proven safe.

As a shocking new study has graphically shown, GMOs are the new thalidomide. When rats eat GM corn, they develop horrifying tumors. Seventy percent of females die prematurely, and virtually all of them suffer severe organ damage from consuming GMO. These are the scientific conclusions of the first truly "long-term" study ever conducted on GMO consumption in animals, and the findings are absolutely horrifying.

Researchers have shown that Micro RNA, which is genetic information has now been found to pass from the foods, through digestion, into your blood and then to attach onto your organs. And there it modifies the functions and the expressions of these organs. This is ground breaking science. And this nullifies the safety claims of Monsanto. You’re more than only eating the proteins, carbohydrates, fibres, vitamins and minerals. You are also eating information! DNAs and RNAs are information.

Maybe that’s why GMOs are causing such widespread infertility. Because the micro

RNA is attaching to receptor sites of the fertility organs and altering the expression or the function of those fertility organs. So what happens when you consume plants that have been altered, artificially concocted in a

laboratory by profit driven scientists working for the most suspicious cooperation in the world?

In other words, you get information that is bad information. It’s not natural information. And when you consume that, that information goes into your body and then begins to program your organs and your cells and your tissues to

behave in a way that is artificial. That’s why the more GM food you eat, the less human you become.

Moreover, Micro RNAs have been widely shown to modulate various critical biological processes, including differentiation, apoptosis (part of the cancer prevention process in the normal human cell metabolism), proliferation, the immune response and

the maintenance of cell and tissue identity. What do you get when your cell does not remember what identity it’s supposed to express? You get a DNA mutation which results in the formation of a cancer cell that goes on to be a tumor!

So GMOs are clearly an anti-human technology. They threaten the continuation of life on our planet. They are a far worse threat than terrorism, or even the threat of nuclear war.

The GMO debate should be over. There is no longer any legitimate, scientific defense of growing GM crops for human consumption. The only people still clinging to the outmoded myth that "GMOs are safe" are scientific mercenaries with financial ties to Monsanto and the biotech industry.

I

21

Event 5:

Paws

22

Sweet Poem on Agriculture

Outstanding in their field, the old joke goes

Farmers are their own breed to be sure

Growing boys, and girls, strong and true

Raising food, caring for the land – in their blood

Outstanding in their fields, doing what they love

Farmers are true to one thing and one thing only

Growing it better, one eye to the sky and one to

ground

Raising hopes, raising dreamers – in their hearts

Outstanding in their fields, eyes to those they love

Farm wives washed in blood, sweat and tears

Growing it at home, in the field and in their souls

Raising it generation after generation – in their DNA.

Outstanding and insane, outstanding and obscure

Farmers are a special breed, and so it should be.

Growing it started in God’s own first garden after all!

Rising hands deep in soil, blooded on the land

Forever

Six generations on this Mauritian soil, with the

seventh standing in the field with his Daddy. More

generations past across the seas. It is in our blood, our

DNA says “Farmer! Rancher!” and of that we are

proud. Looking at this harvest picture I think that

maybe that is the way it is meant to be…for our

family anyway. Every generation needs at least one,

and this is ours.

Miss Urvashi D.D Sumputh

BSc (Hons) Agriscience and Technology – Minor

Extension Year 1

Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius

An Agricultural Anecdote

Once upon a time in a faraway village, there lived a

little boy named Liu. He was very naughty; did not

obey to anyone and kept doing mischief all day long.

So, one day his father sent him to visit a monastery;

where a monk took him around. On passing by a

garden, the monk asked Liu to uproot some grass. He

said: “that’s way too easy”, and uprooted them with

only one hand. After some time, they came across a

shrub. Once again, the monk asked the boy to uproot

it. Liu tried with both his hands and succeeded. The

monk kept on asking him to uproot bigger and bigger

trees. He did the work with more and more effort.

Arriving at a gigantic tree, the monk asked him to

repeat his task. The boy replied in a loud voice and

said that it would be impossible. The monk told him

that he should be able to do it. Liu tried and tried, but

could not uproot the gigantic tree till he was

discouraged. It was then that the monk told him:

“This is how bad manners are; if you do not remove

them at a tender age, it will be impossible to do it

once they have grown up and are well rooted”. From

that day on, Liu changed for the better and never

again did he cause trouble to anyone.

Mr M. Nadeem Durbarry

BSc (Hons) Agriculture (Spp: Aquaculture) Year 3

Faculty of Agriculture

University of Mauritius

Poem

Corner..

23

The University of Mauritius (UoM) Farm

The farm of the University of Mauritius is situated near the “Centre National de Formation de

Football” (CNFF) in Reduit. It spread over an area of about 21 acres.

Since its establishment, the UoM farm has been providing inter alia facilities for farm practicals

and research. It comprises of:

Animal Production Units (Broiler and layer chickens, cattle, goats, sheep, ducks, rabbits,

quails)

Crop Museum

Plant Nursery

Greenhouses

Fruit Orchard

Laboratory and Lecture Room

Hydroponic Crop Production Systems

Endemic and Medicinal Plants Garden

Ornamental Plant Unit

Plots (hands-on practical training for students and staff project and for research purposes)

Meteorological Station (for demonstration and research work of the students and

academicians)

Moreover, the UoM Farm has the necessary equipments and assets for its operation. Farming

tools, irrigation systems are available to students and academicians for practical. Also, it is

equipped with a tractor, which helps in transporting fodder to the farm and for other purposes on

the campus.

Adding on to that, the farm is also responsible for the landscaping of the UoM campus. Services

such as planting of ornamental plants throughout the campus, providing potted plants for

functions at the University and regular mowing of green spaces are also entertained by the farm.

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University of Mauritius farm Album

25

True contentment is a thing as active as agriculture. It

is the power of getting out of any situation all that

there is in it. It is arduous and rare.’ We did it! Our

first E-newsletter; The Agriculturist, is here. As a

member of the AS, I wish to express the honor it has

been to be part of it and my gratification now that we

have succeeded. We have aimed to bring you

righteous and virtuous information. Have a delightful

moment reading it! Do give us some response. We

shall be glad to hear from you.

Veshali Barah

(Executive member)

As Public Relations Officer of the Agricultural

Society, it gives me immense pleasure to be part of

this First Ever Online Edition of The Agriculturist.

I sincerely hope that this first edition will be

appreciated by all readers. It is intended to increase

awareness and to share related articles about the

agricultural sector throughout the world.

Hoping to get positive feedback from readers.

Long live FOA

Long live AS

Long live UoM!! Cheers :)

Indradev Ramsurn (PRO)

It is indeed a great honor to be among the

Newsletter Editor for the Agriculturist and it is an

immense pleasure to launch this first edition for

2013. A huge thanks to all the persons who

contributed writing the wonderful and inspiring

articles, without which there wouldn’t have been

this newsletter. Last but not least, I would like to

thank all the members for their everlasting support

throughout the creation of this edition. Cheers

FOA….Sincerely,

Lobin Keshwar

(Executive Member)

Thank you all for your interest in our first time ever

newsletter the aim of this newsletter is to expand the

knowledge and importance of agriculture among

everyone. Let’s help the world to be better by being

environmentally friendly and by keeping growing plants

God bless everyone in this world, God bless us all

Anusha Seechurn

(Executive Member)

The realization of the first ever newsletter

was indeed no easy task and yet we lived

each and every moment of its making by a

code of faith. This, together with the hard

work and dedication of a dynamic team led

to a graceful result, our long awaited

achievement, The Agriculturist. We

sincerely thank all those who’ve

contributed in any way or the other. Enjoy

the read

Huda Nazeer

(Executive member)

Being part of the Agricultural society has

given me a chance to build up my

personality and help others. It is a

wonderful experiment working in a

dedicated group like the Agricultural

society with many ideas fuse together to

give the best one.

Zama

(Event Officer)

26

UoM Students' Agricultural Society 2012/13

Faculty of Agriculture

University of Mauritius

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http://www.facebook.com/UomStudentsAgriculturalSocietyAs