Attachments
FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
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Food production fell in 2015
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Inflation rate falls below levels of previous year
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 declined in 2015
Domestic food production in 2015, mainly vegetables and fruits, decreased by about 12 percent, mainly on account of poor weather and a contraction in plantings. The bulk of the decline results from smaller potato and tomato harvests, while the rice output, produced in relatively small amounts, decreased by almost half in 2015 to 657 tonnes.
Production of sugarcane, a significant export earner, declined marginally in 2015, as poor weather caused a decrease in yields that more than offset a small increase in the area harvested.
Inflation rates in 2016 below previous year’s levels
The country is heavily dependent on imports of food and as result food prices as well as domestic inflation are significantly influenced by the exchange rate and international prices. The generally lower international cereal and oil prices lessened imported inflation, despite some currency weakness adding upward pressure. As a result, the inflation rate in the first half of 2016 was below the previous year’s value for the corresponding period.