The decision to stop importing vegetables must have caught the opposition unawares. The minister of Agriculture, Nando Bodha, was quick to react to the opposition leader’s promises to planters. He announced last week that the State will no longer grant import permits except for hotels and for vegetables not found in the country.

Nando Bodha’s reaction came soon after Deenarain Lokee, president of the Mauritius Vegetable Planters Association, had asked his colleagues to vote against the MSM/MMM alliance at their general assembly. Navin Ramgoolam, who attended the event, had said he would give special attention to planters when he comes to power and stop the importing of vegetables.

Planters can start smiling again anyway. The last load of carrots and cabbages is arriving from South Africa next week. Now that the rainy period is over and winter is near, vegetable growers can supply the local market again. Prices could even start dropping.

But they have other reasons to smile… The State will provide Rs 15.8 million through the Small Planters Welfare Fund (SPWF) to help some 5 510 planters severely affected by the recent rains. The Development Bank will lend Rs 24.9 million under the Hennie Rehabilitation Loan Scheme to the 528 planters who have filed complaints.

The aid measures will extend to planters not registered with the SPWF but who reported their losses. Moreover, the Agricultural Research and Extension Unit (AREU) gave the planters a voucher for 200 kg of fertilisers. The minister announced that fertilisers would soon be bought from India to ensure lower costs to planters.