Farmers Service Agency – FSA – MCIA Mauritius Cane Industry Authority

Background

The Mauritius Cane Industry Authority (MCIA) was established as a body corporate on December 15, 2011 and came into force by proclamation on March 19, 2012. Under the Act, the Farmers Service Agency (FSA) has taken over the mandate and functions of the former Farmers Service Corporation.

At present there are six FSCs around the island which are located in Saint Felix, Union Park (South), Saint Pierre (Centre/West), L’Unite, Bon Accueil (East) and Solitude (North).

It is to be noted that, the first Farmers Service Centre (FSC) started operations in 1986 to offer specialised extension and training services to sugarcane planters.

Location of FSCs in Mauritius

FSC	Phone	Email	FSC	email	Phone
Solitude	261-5184	solitude.fsc@mcia.mu	Bon Accueil	bonaccueil.fsc@mcia.mu	418-5678
Saint Pierre	433-1788	saintpierre.fsc@mcia.mu	Rose Belle	rosebelle.fsc@mcia.mu	677-8591
L’Unite	416-5084	unite.fsc@mcia.mu	Saint Felix	saintfelix.fsc@mcia.mu	622-6601
Beau Champ	417 7043	beauchamp.fsc@mcia.mu	Rivière du Rempart	rivieredurempart.fsc @mcia.mu	409 0757

Objectives of the FSA

The objectives of the department are to:

Ensure that essential services are available to planters.
Promote the setting up of cane nurseries and the supply of cane setts to planters; and
Facilitatethe adoption of modern and efficient agricultural practices by planters.

Functions of the FSA

The functions of the department are to:

Provide technical advice, assistance and training to planters on cane cultivation, harvesting and transport of cane and post- harvest operations.
Manage agricultural land and, in particular, abandoned fields in FORIP or such other similar projects.
Enter into management contracts on behalf of planters.
Devise agricultural credit schemes in consultation with financing agencies.
Ensure that arrangements are made so that cane of small planters are harvested at their optimal sucrose content.
Assist cooperative societies in benefitting from the Fair-Trade initiative or such other similar projects.

Organisational Structure and Operations

The FSA is headed by a director who is supported by a team of managers who are responsible for the day-to-day running of 6 Farmers Service Centres around the island. The department is manned by a total of 60 staff out of which 36 constitute the technical cadre.

The FSA is responsible for the implementation of several support schemes aiming at improving the productivity of small sugar cane planters, namely through the:

◉ Seed Cane Subsidy Scheme
◉ Nursery Establishment Scheme
◉ Sugar Cane Planters Regrouping Project (SPRP)
◉ Agricultural Land Management System (ALMS)
◉ Road Mending Scheme
◉ Fertilizer Subsidy Scheme

The FSA executes its extension and training programme through the following activities offered in the Farmers Service Centres around the island:

◉ Field Visits
◉ Conducted Tours and Demonstration sites
◉ Group Meetings
◉ Planters Information Meetings
◉ Soil Sampling and fertilizer recommendations
◉ Visit by Planters to FSC
◉ Liaison Meetings
◉ Planters Vocational Training