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EU Commissioner lauds the milky way
Most Mauritians will remember yesterday for Ganesh Chaturthi. For the members of Cooperative Dairy Farm of Nouvelle Découverte however, it will be remembered for having been the day when they received a visit from European Union?s (EU) Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mariann Fischer-Boel. During a tour of the farm, the former Danish MP spoke freely with the farmers about the importance of cooperatives and the intricacies of dairy farming. She even gave a calf the name of Eva.
The dairy cooperative, which regroups 11 farmers, was born in 1998. Nestled amongst the verdant rolling plains of Nouvelle Découverte, its 60 hectares are home to 250 cows and calves, a far cry from the early days when it owned a grand total of 30 heads. The herd produces around 1000 litres of milk every day. The cows are milked twice a day with the help of portable milking machines. Each animal gives approximately 12 litres of milk each day.
The milk, which is sold in Nouvelle Découverte, is not pasteurized. It goes for a little over Rs 20 per litre. Pasteurized milk fetches double that price and, with the aid of the ministry of Agro-industry, the cooperative has ordered a pasteurization unit worth more than Rs 730 000 from South Africa. All the veterinary services are provided free of charge by the government.
The animals are fed on the elephant grass that grows abundantly on the farm, as well as sugar cane tops during the harvest. Mariann Fischer-Boel explained that, by improving the nutritional value of the fodder, the cooperative could also improve the quality of its milk.
Grant of Rs 4 million</B>
Last year, the cooperative received a Rs 4 million grant for the upgrade of its infrastructure. The EU?s Decentralised Cooperation Programme (DCP) contributed 75 % of the funds, while various ministries and the farmers themselves completed the remaining 25 %. The money was used to tar the road leading to the farm, and to install a water pump and pipe network of 900 metres. According to its treasurer, Prakash Buckhory, the upgrade has contributed enormously to the smooth running of the cooperative?s operations.
?I?m happy to see what you?re doing. Farmers are stronger when they work together. It?s very important that this cooperative becomes a success and a model for other farmers,? explained Mariann Fischer-Boel who also said that government has an important role to play in encouraging the creation of small-to-medium-scale agricultural ventures.
The cooperative?s secretary, Swalay Dinally agreed wholeheartedly with the EU Commissioner?s advice. ?The prevalent mentality is that it?s every person for himself. There?s a real need for the cooperation between breeders to be consolidated. It will probably take some time but things are moving in the right direction.?
The EU Commissioner also evoked the huge potential of dairy farming in a day and age when the prices of many foodstuffs have increased vertiginously. ?The interest in milk has exploded and it is high on the political agenda. Mauritius needs to produce more milk than it currently does.? She also remarked that ?Women are good with animals. It?s got something to do with the motherly instinct?. For having been a farmer herself, Mariann Fischer-Boel is familiar with the dedication required to rear animals on a professional basis.
The farmers did however complain about the high interest rates charged by the Development Bank of Mauritius? (DBM) on its loans. The DBM now lends money at a whopping 14 %, compared to a far more SME-friendly 3 % in the late 1990s when the cooperative commenced its operations. The EU Commissioner opined that this illustrates the authorities? lack of confidence in such schemes. One is indeed forced to concede that this is in direct contradiction of the government?s much-trumpeted quest for food self-sufficiency.
Despite the hardships (cows need to be fed everyday, irrespective of public holidays), the president of the cooperative, Dhaywantee Mungrah, believes that her children will continue in her footsteps. ?They enjoy the work,? she says proudly. ?And at least our future is in our hands,? she adds after a brief pause.
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