Assembly approves motion on agricultural sector |24 May 2018

Members of the National Assembly unanimously approved a motion yesterday requesting the government to provide additional financial facilities and support for local farmers.

The motion was tabled by Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) elected member for Baie Lazare François Adelaide with the aim of bringing new life to and stimulate the agricultural sector.

Mr Adelaide said this would in turn reduce cost of living, elevate agricultural standards and ultimately give the sector its rightful place in the development of the country.

“Such a motion in these current times should be prioritised in order to ensure the country’s food security given the political and economical tensions around the world,” Mr Adelaide stated.

He added that the government should make a concerted effort to retain its human resource in the agricultural sector specifically in regards to the minister responsible for that portfolio which has seen three different ministers in the space of 19 months.

“This in itself demonstrates why the sector remains in a worrying state,” Mr Adelaide explained.

“A fair amount of ministerial visits have been conducted but each time these visits had ended and plans were about to be put into actions, the ministers changed and farmers had to put their trust in yet another minister.”

He explained that the motion comes as a result of extensive research which included a meeting between a few National Assembly members and the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries at the time, Pamela Charlette, to better understand the financial options available to farmers.

“We were made aware that the majority of the budget received by the agricultural ministry goes into the development and maintenance of infrastructures such as roads and water reservoirs which makes it difficult to fund other elements in that sector.”

Interviews conducted with farmers, particularly low-scale ones, revealed that their greatest challenge was access to liquid cash and they are furthermore faced with too many procedures that take too long.

Some of the specific recommendations provided by Mr Adelaide include:

• Government should review the ways in which farmers receive financial aids such as through shortening the processing period.
• Provide more consistent expert advice to farmers especially in regards to managing their budget and expenses, business plans and ideal farming methods in relations to the characteristics of their land.
• Provide access to agricultural equipments such as excavators, plows and even more technologically advanced equipment.
• Seychellois who are enthusiastic and serious about farming should be assisted with a plot of land for agricultural development.
• Government to facilitate private investment in regional cold storage for agricultural products.
• All farm lands should have access to water not only through the services of the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) but also through financing of water reservoirs and watershed projects.
• Access with adequate roads to reach the farms.
• Farmers should be presented with more comprehensive insurance packages.
• Promote the agricultural sector within the population, and in particular, educate the youth on its importance and relevance through the use of technology.
• Create more opportunities for investments in value-added products derived from local agricultural products.

The motion received the support of both Parti Lepep and LDS members with the debate centering on various courses of action that will help empower the agricultural sector.

Mr Adelaide rounded off the debate by asking the Seychelles Agricultural Agency (SAA) to revise its mandates and how it executes them. He further stated that the National Assembly will take upon itself to follow up and check if the relevant authorities are following through with the motion.