Mr. Chairperson
Mr. President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development
Distinguished Governors
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

I am honoured and greatly pleased to participate in this 25th Session of the Governing Council of IFAD and address this august gathering. On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Mauritius, I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations to the President and all staff involved in the organisation of this Session.

I also wish to thank IFAD for its continued support to my country since 1983. IFAD's assistance is of prime importance as it focusses mainly on the agricultural sector, which contributes 7% to the Gross Domestic Product of my country and employs 50,000 persons, which represents 16% of total employment.

The Mauritian Government is firmly committed to the alleviation of poverty and to the pledge that Heads of States took five years ago at the millennium summit to halve extreme poverty by 2015. A Trust Fund for the Rehabilitation of Vulnerable Groups has been set up and a comprehensive poverty study has been carried out. The problem of HIV, which is predominant in poverty-stricken areas, has also been socially investigated. The results of the studies have been used to formulate an action plan to counter the root causes of poverty, social exclusion and economic deprivation.

It is really sad to note that at this very moment around 800 million human beings in the world endure the sufferings inflicted by hunger, food scarcity, malnutrition and poverty.

There is undeniably a pressing need to increase aid and financial assistance to needy countries and particularly development assistance in the agricultural sector, which has been unfortunately on a constant downward trend since the 1980's. In 1999, official Development Aid to agriculture was only 15% of total development assistance to developing countries, against 30% in 1980. This is glaringly incoherent, as we cannot conceive fighting poverty by reducing financial resources meant for agricultural development. My delegation feels that IFAD and other United Nations Agencies as well as donor countries should rethink their assistance strategy in the agricultural sector. Assistance, be it financial or otherwise, should be extended to cover the fight against AIDS. I am happy that this issue will be discussed at an IFAD/FAO/WFP meeting in December.

Food security is a fundamental issue in the battle against hunger and poverty. However, the task to attain food security is becoming increasingly difficult for under-developed and developing countries as the trade liberalisation process gather momentum.

Mauritius being a small island state, we believe that in addressing the issues of food and food security, we should take on board each country's policy objectives, production conditions and potential as well as its historical and cultural background to achieve an equitable balance. A more flexible and realistic approach should be adopted because there is no one-size-fits-all solution for food security. Unless we are prepared to try and accommodate each other's concerns, in particular those of the most vulnerable states in the context of agricultural negotiations, we would be laying the ground for further inequity and misery.

Mauritius also looks forward to the establishment of a financing mechanism under the Marrakesh Agreement for LDC's and NFIDC's and proposes that an international reserve of food be established by donor countries from which food-deficit countries could draw upon in times of crisis.

The threats and challenges faced by the agricultural sector are multifold and comprise pressure on land resources, severe climatic changes, rising costs of inputs, increased exposure to pests and harsh competition stemming from trade liberalisation. All these issues find their answer in the adoption of innovative technologies, for instance biotechnology, which is gaining momentum worldwide due to its potential applications within agriculture. However, these technologies are costly and the required know-how is not to be found in under-developed and developing countries. It will be essential therefore for developed countries and organisations involved in providing assistance to agricultural development to encourage the transfer of know-how and technology and to financially support initiatives in this particular direction.

Whether in the sugar sector or in the non-sugar agricultural sector, Mauritius is fully conscious of the fact that the adoption of modern production techniques, improved irrigation facilities, planned diversification, optimal utilisation of resources and cost-cutting endeavours are the keys to a successful agricultural strategy.
However, to attain our objective of developing a modern agricultural sector, Mauritius needs further support from IFAD.

To conclude, Mr. Chairperson, let me congratulate IFAD in its praiseworthy effort to combat poverty. In the name of my country, my delegation and myself wish your meeting all success.
Thank you

Pravind Kumar Jugnauth
Minister of Agriculture, Food Technology & Natural Resources (Mauritius)