Budget 2026-2027 - Water, Labor, and Subsidies: Farmers' Priorities

The pre-budget consultations for the 2026-2027 Budget commenced on Wednesday, April 29, chaired by Junior Minister of Finance, Dhaneshwar Damry. Farmers and livestock breeders were the first to present their views, followed by cooperatives, SMEs, startups, and tourism associations and professionals.

From the agricultural sector, Kissonah Rajdev, a representative of the Mauritius Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Federation, advocated for strengthening local vegetable production, especially onions. He called for increased subsidies to support local producers and demanded concrete measures to address the labor shortage in the sector.

Gunsham Seeborun, secretary of Mauritius Bio Organic, proposed the introduction of zero-percent loans to revive local agriculture, believing that such incentives could encourage more young people to enter the industry. However, he highlighted the issue of water access as a significant barrier for farmers.