Agricultural and fish production
June 2011
Highlights

1. Sugar cane

At the end of June 2011, some 3,950 hectares under sugar cane for crop 2011 were harvested, yielding 262,151 tonnes of sugar cane and 24,132 tonnes of sugar. The corresponding figures for the same period in the year 2010 were 4,800 hectares, 361,875 tonnes of sugar cane and 33,815 tonnes of sugar respectively. The average extraction rate stood at 9.21% compared to 9.34% in the first semester of 2010.

The latest estimate of the Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture for the production of sugar for the 2011 crop is 390,000 tonnes.

2. Tea

At the end of June 2011, area under tea plantation was 698 hectares, same as that at the end of June 2010. Production of green tea leaves increased by 23.9% from 4,282 tonnes in the first semester of 2010 to 5,307 tonnes in the first semester of 2011. This resulted in an increase in production of manufactured tea by 26.1% from 835 tonnes to 1,053 tonnes.

3. Tobacco

Area harvested during the first semester of 2010 increased by 6.1% from 66 hectares in 2010 to 70 hectares. Production of tobacco leaves grew by 26.5% from 98 tonnes to 124 tonnes.

4. Food crops

A total of 3,091 hectares under food crops was harvested during the first semester of 2011, representing a fall of 3.0% over the figure of 3,188 hectares for the first semester of 2010. However, the production increased by 0.2% from 41,861 tonnes to 41,924 tonnes.

5. Livestock

During the first six months of 2011, beef production was 961 tonnes, 3.5% lower than the production of 996 tonnes registered in the same period of 2010. Production from the slaughter of imported cattle decreased by 7.2% whereas that of local beef went up by 63.5%.

Production of goat meat and mutton went down by 10.8%, while pork production increased by 7.5%.

6. Poultry

The production of poultry expanded by 2.2% from 22,500 tonnes in the first semester of 2010 to 23,000 tonnes in the corresponding period of 2011.

7. Fish

Fish production went up by 6.4% from 2,913 tonnes in the first half of 2010 to 3,099 tonnes for the same period of 2011. Fresh coastal fish catch increased by 5.8% and other catch by 6.8%.

September 2011