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Agricultural Research and Extension Unit
(FARC)
National Agriculture Youth policy Dialogue in
Mauritius
Agricultural Activities for the Youth at the Agricultural
Research & Extension Unit
S.Ori
Senior Extension Officer
Agricultural Research & Extension Unit
(AREU)
Historical Background
Agricultural activities for the youth in Mauritius has been carried out by
regrouping them at Agricultural Youth Clubs.
In 1970 the first Agricultural Youth Club (AYC) was formed at Midlands
under the supervision of FAO’s Extension Experts, U.S. Peace Corps and
UNICEF with the objective of arousing interest and providing training to the
youth.
All AYCs formed around the island were registered at the Agricultural Youth
Club unit which was operating at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Clubs were registered on a yearly basis.
During the 1980’s and 90’s there were 60 to 70 AYCs and 25 to 30
members at each club.

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Staffing
Clubs were attended by 26 officers during & after
office hours.
One Senior Extension Officer
1 Extension Officer
26 Extension Assistants
AYC’s found around the island
4 REGIONAL FEDERATIONS (North,
South, East,& Central / West)
A National body MAURITIUS COUNCIL OF
AGRICULTURAL YOUTH CLUBS
AFFILIATED WITH
MAURITIUS COUNCIL OF SOCIAL
SERVICE (MACOSS)

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Women & Youth Unit
As from 1997 the AYC unit is at AREU.
The unit has been renamed as the Women & youth
Unit and it targets women as well.
In line with Government policy to encourage agri-
businesses AREU has also introduced Agricultural
Entrepreneur Clubs to target those who wished to start
agricultural production on a commercial basis.
In 2009 the Federation of Young Farmer Clubs were
merged at AREU .
Women & Youth Unit
73 agricultural clubs have been registered to the Women
Youth Unit this year.
30 Agricultural Youth Clubs (AYCs)
26 Agricultural Women Clubs (AWCs)
15 Agricultural Entrepreneur Clubs (AECs)

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WOMEN & YOUTH UNIT
• 4 officers are attending to these clubs
• Clubs are no longer regrouped at regional federations or at
a national body.
• No affiliation at MACOSS
• Forming of an AYC & its Registration at the Women &
Youth Unit is voluntary.
• We do not carry out any sensitisation or canvassing for
clubs as we have limited resources
Agricultural Youth Clubs
AYC activities are no longer carried out after working hours.
Existing members have grown up and new members do
not show much interest in agriculture.
The Youth are unavailable as they involved in private
tuitions after school hours.
They have other leisure activities such as T.V, video
games various T.V channels, Computers, internet etc
High cost to carry out activities after hours in terms of
over time and travelling costs for AREU.

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Agricultural Youth Clubs
This year we have registered 30 Agricultural Youth Clubs
regrouping youth of age 12 to 25 with a total number of
868 members
20 clubs are found at colleges (State Secondary Schools,
Private colleges, Loreto Convent Secondary School, MGSS,
La Confiance college, London college and the newly joined
the QEC , St. Joseph & Lycee Labourdonais).
Two clubs at Rehabilitation Youth Centres, One at The
Welfare Society of the Deaf and the others at various
places around the island.
Aims and Objectives
• To initiate the club members in Agricultural production & Agro
processing
To develop their knowledge and skills so as to enable them to
undertake agricultural activities with a professional approach
using new techniques of production.
To encourage and enable them to set up their own agricultural
businesses and be self employed.
To sensitise them on new agricultural techniques, equipments
and crops.
To train them in leadership and promote their sense of
responsibilities.

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AYC Activities
Kitchen/School /Roof/Container gardening
AYC Activities
Compost Making initiated at all clubs

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AYC Activities
Strawberries Production.
AYC Activities
Value Addition to Strawberries

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AYC Activities
Flower & Indoor Plants Production
AYC Activities
Mushroom Production

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AYC Activities
Poultry- Broiler Production
AYC Activities
Poultry Production - Egg Production

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AYC Activities
Small Animal Rearing
AYC Activities
Hydroponics – Loreto Convent College Port Louis & Medco
College

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AYC Activities
A-Frame – Universal College
AYC Activities
Production of planting materials - grafting, cuttings and
layerings

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AYC Activities
Seedling Production – initiated at all clubs
AYC Activities
Identification of Pests & Diseases

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- Biological control of pests & diseases
AYC Activities
AYC Activities
Promoting local fruit Production & Introduction to new
fruits

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AYC Activities
Sensitise on food security and encourage production of
pulses & root crops such as sweet potatoes, cassava & taro
AYC Activities -Training during School Holidays
5 members from each club are invited. 125 members are trained during
each holidays.
Theory & Practical sessions.
Lunch, tea & snacks, training materials, planting materials on topic covered
are provided as incentives

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AYC Activities
Training in Compost Making held this Wednesday (10.04.13)
AYC Activities
Conducted tours to sensitise on:
agro processing,
practical aspects of gardening and identification of
Pests & diseases at Research stations, Model farms, and
at planters farms,
Mushroom production at mushroom unit

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Support & Incentives
Technical support
through talks, demonstrations, power point
presentations & film shows
Field Visits
for advice & improvement.
Free Leaflets & booklets
on all topics taken up at talks and demonstrations for
implementation of Agricultural projects
Support & Incentives
Free distribution of seeds & mushroom fruiting bags.
13 varieties of seeds distributed to all clubs
25 mushroom fruiting bags
Free distribution of planting materials
300 cuttings of cassava
600 taro (arouille violette) plantlets
1000 cuttings of sweet potatoes
500 aloevera plantlets
700 strawberry runners
500 gladiolus bulbs

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Support & Incentives
Free distribution of fruit trees/plantlets
25 guava trees (george)
30 olive
20 papaya
300 imported strawberry plantlets
100 acerola plantlets produced from cuttings
25 passion fruits
100 roselle plantlets
Support & Incentives
Distribution of acerolla plantlets

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Support & Incentives
Free distribution of agricultural equipment
- seed trays
- bird net
- potting bags
- yellow sticky traps
- blue bags for bagging of bananas
- Jiffy pellet trays
- Plastic Mulch
Support & Incentives
Scholarship
• Any member who has been at a club for 5 years can
benefit the Scholarship for studying any Agricultural
subject at the University of Mauritius.
• All fees are paid plus a monthly pocket money of Rs
1500 .
• 2 members have already benefited from this
scholarship

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• Activities for the youth are on going however there is a
need to strengthen them further.
• To-day our agriculture is facing major reforms.
• The coming young entrepreneurs in agriculture will
have a big responsibility in shaping a modern high-
tech agricultural sector of to-morrow, which no doubt
has to be in an organised framework.
• Therefore this National Agriculture Youth Policy
Dialogue is well justified.
THANK YOUTHANK YOUTHANK YOUTHANK YOU
FORFORFORFOR
YOURYOURYOURYOUR
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