Mauritius: Impact of cyclone Bansi assessed
The Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development, and Disaster and Beach Management has already made arrangements for scavenging works, and cleaning of wastes.
The Ministry of Health and Quality of Life is carrying out an intensive larviciding and spraying campaign, as well as sensitisation activities on the need to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds. The public is also advised to take the usual basic sanitary precautions and to boil tap water before consuming.
The Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI) has carried out a survey to assess the impact of the cyclone on the food crop sector. Plantations in respect of the main crops have been affected, namely carrots (50%); green vegetables, fine herbs and lettuce (60%); tomato (25%), and creepers, such as bitter gourd, pumpkin, and cucumber (10%).
The FAREI is providing technical and advisory services to the farming community to help them rehabilitate their crops, improve the quality of produce and reduce post-harvest loss. The Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security is making arrangements to provide seeds and planting materials, free of charge, to planters whose crops have been affected.
The Ministry would authorise the importation of carrots to meet demand. The Agricultural Marketing Board has sufficient stocks of potato, onion and garlic to ensure adequate and regular supply.
Source: allafrica.com
