Small-scale Agricultural Development Project

The near-exclusive focus on sugar cane cultivation on Mauritius Island makes many farmers vulnerable to fluctuations in the price of sugar on international markets. The project's goal was to increase incomes and livelihood opportunities for poor rural people, raise and diversify domestic food production and increase the resilience of the rural economy.

The project introduced crop diversification to farmers in selected areas on Mauritius Island, and it supported development of small enterprises for small-scale farmers and poor rural people without land who were excluded from the benefits of the country’s economic growth.

The project helped 2,000 small-scale farmers initiate new farm enterprises implemented through cooperatives or farmers’ groups. It financed the construction of rural health centres in villages where they were badly needed. It introduced activities such as small-scale rice farming, litchi production and planting mulberry trees for silk production, and it introduced new farming ventures, such as rearing goats, and small-scale irrigation for vegetable production. The project also worked to strengthen institutional frameworks to ensure that development initiatives are sustained and that villages in neglected areas are provided with basic services.

Source: IFAD