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Mauritius

GIEWS Country Brief: Mauritius 02-July-2018

Attachments

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

Total domestic food production was unchanged in 2017

Small uptick in annual inflation rate in 2018

About 40 percent of Mauritius’ surface is used for cultivation, of which roughly 90 percent is sugarcane, with the remaining land planted with tea, tobacco and a few food crops.

Food crop production was unchanged in 2017

The country imports the bulk of its national food requirements and only produces a small amount of cereals. Total food production, mainly vegetables and fruits, remained virtually unchanged in 2017, estimated at about 106 600 tonnes. However, the production of cereals declined marginally, on account of a cut in the paddy production.

The production of sugarcane, a significant export earner, declined marginally in 2017, mostly due to a reduction in the area harvested. Early projections for 2018 indicate a successive year‑on‑year decline, partly linked to changes in the EU’s policies on sugar production, which is expected to reduce the EU import needs and therefore lower exports from African producers, including Mauritius.

Inflation rate increases in 2018

As the country is heavily dependent on imports of food, food prices as well as domestic inflation rates are significantly influenced by the exchange rate and international prices. A depreciation of the national currency (Mauritian rupee) and higher international oil prices led to a small uptick in inflation rates in 2018. As of May 2018, the annual inflation rate was estimated at 4.7 percent compared to 1.9 percent in the same month of 2017. Rice and wheat flour prices remained stable and unchanged, as they are subsidized by the Government.