Mr. Chairperson,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me at the onset to sincerely thank the organizers for an excellent preparation and reception to this beautiful city of Rome for this important conference. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. 

My attendance here signifies an effective re-engagement of Seychelles with IFAD.  Past arrears, economic difficulties, marginalization and stagnation of the agricultural sector meant a minimal interaction between IFAD and the Republic of Seychelles. 

The comprehensive macroeconomic exercise launch under the aegis of the guidance and support of IMF followed by other partners especially when it came to addressing the debt and arrears settlement has successfully regularized our situation with IFAD as well as other International Financial Institutions. Hence Seychelles is now qualified and eligible to effectively engage. Preliminary discussions have been very fruitful and encouraging.

I sincerely wished that the aforementioned constraints were the only factors that have motivated our strong presence. However, other challenges that threaten the very core of our food and nutrition security such as the scourge of piracy, climate change and it's adverse effects on farmer's productivity and the need to seriously invest in the agricultural and fisheries sectors are the present constraints that we have to overcome. Last but by no means least, it is the pressure and trends towards market liberalization that is impacting seriously on the competitiveness of local producers.

Ladies and gentlemen, as I speak to you, two of our local fishermen who left home before Christmas still languish in Somalia after being captured whilst they were earning a living for their families.

The fishing industry in its entirety has suffered substantive losses in productivity and thus in potential incomes. Armed guards and our fishing industry today go hand in hand. This has had the effect of jacking-up the costs of operations and final prices. This is a worrying situation that is affecting the very fabric of our way of life as we have known and lived for generations.

President James Michel of the Republic of Seychelles is at this juncture preparing to return home from the UK where at the invitation of Prime Minister Cameron addressed a conference on the challenges of Somalia. The fight against piracy was at the summit of the conferences agenda. Bilateral agreements has successfully been signed both with the British Governement and the President of Somaliland to assist with intelligence so that this scourge can be dealt with where it matters and for the repatriation of convicted Somali pirates. After many interventions the Seychelles President is gaining much ground to press for burden sharing in dealing with this international scourge and keeping it on the international agenda as an important issue to be addressed. 

Climate change is here! Mr. Chairperson the increases in unpredictable and freak weather patterns have forced us all to think outside the box. We are very receptive to IFADs "Climate Smart Investments" initiatives. In 2010 the Seychelles witnessed its worst drought for decades. Once that was over it was the floods that made the lives of our local farmers even more miserable. Caught within a rock and a hard place the need for climate smart methods such as climate proof agricultural methods, address infrastructure deficiencies such as more effective drains, water barrages and more efficient and effective irrigation systems, more resilient seeds and practices require significant investments.

In light of the above, giving life to the farmers and fishermen Insurance scheme is now a priority to be activated. Irrigation and water management programmes for the farmers are well on their way as difficult as it seems to set up. Those are only part of our adaptation and mitigation efforts that are complimented with a training programme that requires a complete review due to the emerging challenges such as intensification of soil conservation and the further promotion and practice of sustainable agriculture that ensures sustainable incomes. 

The historical strenuous and competitive relations that have traditionally existed on the coastal strips of the Seychelles' islands between agriculture and the tourism sector will see a transformation and a co-existing way forward. Green, organic, healthier sustainable agro-tourism presents an opportunity where the two sectors can co-exist, complement and support each other.

For the above to happen, a multi-functional transformative platform needs to be set to allow innovative approaches and interactions that address crucial elements from quality and suitability of inputs to the markets be they be the hotels, the super-markets or the community stores and district markets. Value-additions - and related business opportunities is another element that should be seriously considered to turn at least some of the farms produce into long-lasting commercial value added end products that would find their pride of place in the markets.

Finally ladies and gentlemen one of the worries that gives me sleepless nights is the trend to liberalize the markets that have seen the livestock sector in Seychelles almost disappear mainly due to the relatively higher cost of production compared to imported products originating from countries that do enjoy better technical know-how, economies of scale and outreach as opposed to one that has slightly more than 50 percent of its land area as protected and have very limited or no economies of scale. 

Acknowledging that trade is an essential component of our food security strategy, it is nonetheless extremely worrisome when the totality of the country's livestock farmers stop production to the point that it is no longer viable to run the national abattoir or the hatchery. For a small isolated, remote island state, where it's trade route is insecure due to piracy, the situation becomes alarming to the point of being a national security issue. 

The domestic and international competition for agricultural land, climate change challenges and efforts to intensify sustainable agricultural practices are elements that cannot be overemphasized and that we can only overcome with solid partnerships as the one we are re-establishing with IFAD.

It is becoming clear that food and nutritive security should take some precedence. Seychelles political leadership is cognizant and in full support of increasing its efforts to boost the sector given the emerging challenges.

Allow me to add my voice and gratitude to the positive changes that this institution has registered. It will certainly assist us to adapt to what we are experiencing in more droughts, more floods, more boats returning half empty because of rising sea level and temperature rise, coral bleaching, piracy and unprecedented changes in the way all our agents for food security in Seychelles - farmers, fishermen, traders have to factor into their operations if they are to stay afloat and in business.

I thank you for listening.

23 février 2012