Budget 2018-19 - food security : several important measures announced

To give a boost to the food security programme, Pravind Jugnauth has announced several measures. These are:

• Contribution of Rs 30 million by Government towards a new Crop Insurance Scheme for planters to be operated by the Small Farmers Welfare Fund;
• Increase of subsidy  on the production of onion and potato seeds;
• Setting up of a National Animal Identification System to protect livestock from outbreak of diseases. This will electronically identify each animal with a unique number;
• Provision for an  outlet for the sale of fattened pigs at a reasonable price;
• Writing off of all outstanding loans contracted under the Pig Breeders Relaunching Scheme by the DBM;
• To boost the tea sector, a monthly income support of 50 cents per kilo of tea leaves harvested by small planters during the 3 months winter period will be provided;
• Coming up with an action plan for the can industry to assess the situation;
• In view of supporting small sugar planters, the customs duty on import of sugar will increase from 15% to 80%.