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description
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1st Edition
The
Agriculturist
UoM Agricultural Society
Faculty of Agriculture
University of Mauritius
May 2013
Des
igne
d by
Zai
nal K
aree
mun
2
Table of Contents
Page 3 - Editorial message
Page 4 – Message of the President of Agricultural Society
Page 5 – The UoM Agricultural Society
Page 6 – Message of the President of Students’ Union
Page 7 – Message of the Faculty Representative
Page 8 – Retired Senior Technical Assistant
Page 9 – CAADP
Page 11 – Full planet, Empty plates
Page 12 – Event: Ile aux Benitiers
Page 13 – An insight of agriculture
Page 14 – Event: Visit to JNH, Rose Belle
Page 15 – Student experience in agriculture
Page 16 – Event: Agricultural Fair
Page 17 – Pesticides & bees
Page 19 – Event: Anou Bouzer
Page 20 – About GM foods
Page 21 – Event: Contribution at PAWS
Page 22 – Poem & Anecdote
Page 23 – The University Farm
Page 25 – Editorial Team message
Editorial Team
Mr. Lobin Keshwar
Miss. Huda Nazeer
Miss. Anusha Seechurn
Mr. Indradev Ramsurn
Miss Veshali Barah
Miss Zama Mohamed
CONTRIBUTORS
Mr. Drupnarainsing
Dabeedial
Technical assistant
Mr. Shane Hardowar
Lecturer,
Faculty of Agriculture
3
The Agricultural Society is launching its first ever
Newsletter and we promise to bring you a bunch of
tasty information and bits of eye-catching snaps!
This new achievement has come forward because
we wanted to give you a clearer view and
understanding of our aims and successes.
Till date, we have numerous activities added up to
our accomplishment board, which are of
educational, recreational and charity-oriented
nature. The AS invites you to thoroughly
rummage our newsletter. We want you to be part
of it!
We all know that agriculture has been, long ago, in
the hands of uneducated people and was thus
considered mediocre. Today, this is changing and
we shall contribute to giving this sector a whole
new meaning. Innovation whilst enjoying as much!
So, go ahead and have a pleasurable perusal! This
one’s going to be fruitful, joyful, and if you have
ever been a participant, it might bring about
nostalgia!
More to come!
The Editing Team
Editorial Message
4
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 2012/ 13
ZAINAL KAREEMUN
Dear friends,
The UoM Agricultural Society 2012/13 has the pleasure to
launch a first ever e-newsletter; The Agriculturist. It is indeed with great
pleasure and honour for me to convey my message and associate myself
with such a praiseworthy effort. The Agriculturist is to emphasize the
importance of the agricultural sector and to arm you with the activities
that the UoM Agricultural Society has previously organised.
In light with the importance of Agriculture in our everyday lives and its
contribution to our island, which many youngsters do not realise, the
Agricultural Society has in the past years organised and participated in
activities like the World Food Day, Clean-up Campaigns, World
Environment Day, World Water Day, Agricultural Fair, Career-Oriented
Job Fairs, to mention a few.
I strongly believe that kNOw Agriculture kNOw Life. Therefore, as the President of this Society, I
will definitely make sure that the importance of agriculture is promoted and youngsters’ perception
towards this sector is changed on the University Campus.
Big applause to the Editing Team behind this first ever newsletter of the Society. This masterpiece
verily reflects their hard work and dedication. I hope that ‘The Agriculturist’ becomes a regular
feature entrenched in the UoM Agricultural Society. I seize this opportunity to wish you all a
prolific journey among the Family of the University of Mauritius and all the best in your
endeavours.
Best wishes,
Zainal Kareemun
President,
UoM Agricultural Society 2012/13
Faculty of Agriculture
The UoM Agricultural Society is a dynamic group lead by the students from the Faculty of
Agriculture. The team’s aim is to work together and promote agriculture on the Faculty and
Campus level. The Society is a platform for our students to express themselves and get the
opportunity to participate in many activities. The main theme of the Society is Agriculture and it’s
reflected in the logo, that is;
The production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi,
The raising of domesticated animals.
Every year a career oriented job fair is organised with the aim of creating links between the
companies affiliated to the agricultural sector and our students. Also other events like the Street
Soccer, Outings, Domino competitions are organized for the leisure of our students.
The Society participated in events like the World Food Day and World Environment Day on the
national level where various activities as quiz, sketch and charitable lunch were organized.
With the launching of the first edition of this Newsletter we are aiming at targeting and creating
awareness among youngsters about the importance of agriculture in the development of our
country towards self-sufficiency. Being the adults of tomorrow we are willing to bring our small but
valuable contribution for the next generations.
INTRODUCTION & HISTORY OF
UoM AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
Some Executive members of
Agricultural Society
6
MESSSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
STUDENTS’ UNION 2012/13
Dear readers,
It is with great pleasure to address to you today through the
Agricultural Society Newsletter May 2013, which is a very
promising way for the students' organising body to address its
community and through which UoM Students would have
awareness of the current activities of the Society.
On behalf of the university, the Students’ Union is proud of
the Agricultural Society, for which it has been able to
conduct extracurricular activities holding up to its title and
image - such were the Agricultural Fair, a day at PAWS and other benevolent activities, creating
the perfect platform for members and students to acquire enriching skills and developing a sense
of the responsibility.
The publication of this newsletter is the very indication of the stepping activeness of the Society
over the past few semesters, on campus and off campus as well. It is very encouraging to
mention that the participation and involvement of students of FOA into the Society's event have
being on a positive gradient.
On a honored note, the Students’ Union encourages the students of the Faculty of Agriculture to
contribute to the Society and wishes the best for prosperity of the pride of the FOA – UOM
Students’ Agricultural Society.
Yours Sincerely,
S. M. Hafeez TOOFAIL
President,
UOM Students’ Union 2012/ 13
7
MESSAGE FROM FACULTY FOA
REPRESENTATIVE
Dear friends,
It is a great honour for me to convey my message to you, in this first ever
newsletter of the Agricultural Society. Indeed after the success of the
online magazine, AS is now innovating with the launching of a newsletter.
Firstly I would like to congratulate the editing team who has been working
very hard to make this newsletter a reality. This newsletter is of immense importance since it
emphasizes the importance and need of agriculture in the world. As far as Mauritius is concerned,
agriculture is a major economic pillar of our country and many of our local people are earning their living
with this sector which is indeed of great importance to Mauritius.
This rhyme with the effort of the Government to make the country self sufficient in some of the local
foods which we can produce. Today the country is more than 33% self sufficient in its food requirement.
Though we have attained self-sufficiency in a certain number of crops, the Government is looking
forward for this percentage to be increased. It has been possible due to the agricultural diversification
programs which has helped us to reduce our dependency on the sugar cane industry. This will reduce to
great extent our import costs and increase employment creation. We have the resources (land, labour
and capital), we just need someone to move forward to make the first step. We have company like
Medine ltd which is producing vegetables at large scales, it would have been much better if we have
more like them in the country. I hope the message has been passed guys. We can do it. The future is in
our hands.
I definitely feel honored to associate myself with such a praiseworthy effort of you guys. Seeing this
Faculty as our little Family and keeping this tie all the way along the journey gives me courage. Again I
wish to congratulate the AS team for the great job they have been doing till now. I assure you that you
will get my full support wherever needed guys.
Best wishes,
CHOCALINGUM Murugen
Faculty Students’ Representative
8
Retired Senior Technical Assistant
Mr. Drupnarainsing Dabeedial,
Also known as Ashok, he is one of the
oldest technical assistant at the Faculty of
Agriculture. He retired in November 2012 as
Senior Technical Assistant, at the age of 62
leaving behind him 40 years of enriching
experience.
Mr. Ashok joined the University of Mauritius on
the 8th January 1973 as technical assistant. He
was permanently appointed in June 1974 and
then the Faculty of Agriculture was known as
the School of Agriculture, and things were
different.
During his years spent at the Faculty, Mr. Ashok
was always keen to work under the
responsibility of academicians like Dr. Mohan
Madunsing Galowalia, Dr. David Charles West
and Prof. Sunita Facknath. He was well
appreciated for doing his job with
full responsibility and satisfaction by academics
and his colleagues. He has always considered
himself to be an instrument to the University.
He acquired lots of experience and learnt a lot
while working at the University. Apart from
practical classes, he also worked on research
projects and in the training of technicians at the
Faculty.
Moreover, Mr. Ashok was always good at heart.
He was always welcoming queries from
students, academics and other colleagues and
was available to them for any help. He guided
and helped students in their research projects,
be it; BSc. or MSc. degrees. He considered
students to be the “most needed persons” than
staff because without students, there would not
be the need for the existence of the University
and himself. This is why, students used to
consult Mr. Ashok first whenever they had any
problem.
Over his 40 years at the Faculty, Mr. Ashok
invented a mouse / rat catching system using
biological products available locally; he also
invented the Stomoxys (stable fly) trap and hard
worker as he is, even retired, he is still working
on projects related to the entomology on his
own.
Message of Mr. Ashok to the Agricultural Society
“I was very happy when I learnt that students of the Agricultural Society have launched a
newsletter. I had always been wishing for the existence of such a society. I wish all the members
good luck in their endeavors and hope they will always keep it moving ahead even after they leave
the University.”
Message of Mr. Ashok to readers
“Research is not something extraordinary. There exists different ways to conduct researches, but
the best research is through OBSERVATION!”
9
Mr. Shane Hardowar
Node Coordinator of the Food Agriculture and Natural Resources
Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN),
(The Node Hosting Institution in Mauritius is the Faculty of
Agriculture, University of Mauritius.)
1. Introduction to the CAADP process
Since 2000, agriculture has been recognized as
the mainstay and key driver of economic
growth, food and nutritional security and
poverty alleviation in Africa. In ratifying the
Maputo Declaration of 2003, African Heads of
State and Government committed to effecting
policy changes that will improve agricultural
and rural development in Africa in the bid to
meet Millennium Development
Goal 1 which seeks to halve poverty by 2015,
increase food security and eradicate hunger.
These included African Governments’
commitment in the allocation of at least 10
percent of national budgetary resources for
agriculture and rural development.
The main objective of the Comprehensive
Africa Agricultural Development
Programme (CAADP) is to assist African
countries reach a higher path of economic
growth through agriculture-led development and
attainment of at least 6% annual sectoral growth.
CAADP will bring agriculture back to the centre
stage of economic Development and allow the
agricultural sector to contribute to food, nutrition
and income security.
The framework works on 4 main pillars:
Pillar1: Land and Water Management
Pillar2: Rural infrastructure and trade
(market access)
Pillar3: Food Security
Pillar4: Agricultural Research and Extension
Although the New Partnership for Africa’s
Development (NEPAD) CAADP
implementation has accelerated over the past
few years, to date only 30 out of 54 countries on
the continent have signed their National CAADP
Compacts. The countries with signed CAADP
compacts are at different stages of implementing
the CAADP process, ranging from agreeing on
priority investment areas, designing
comprehensive bankable investment plans,
discussing with development partners and
investors, as well as designing implementation
plans for rolling out the investment plans.
Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development
Programme (CAADP) in Mauritius
10
2. CAADP in Mauritius
Mauritius is among the few African countries
which have not yet signed the CAADP compact
but is in the process of preparing for the launch
of CAADP and signing of the compact. The
CAADP buy-in process started in 2010 and a
focal person was appointed namely Dr
Dhaneshwar Dumur, Technical Adviser,
Ministry of Agro-industry and Food Security.
In order for Mauritius to move fast with this
process it has to benchmark with countries
which are at advanced stages in the CAADP
process for instance Tanzania, Malawi and
Rwanda.
Two CAADP experts from COMESA, namely
Dr Sam Kanyarukiga and Dr Nalishebo Meebelo
were in Mauritius recently and delivered a
presentation on CAADP to key stakeholders in
Mauritius on the 13th March 2013. According to
the experts, Mauritius will be ready to launch the
CAADP in April 2013 and the compact could be
signed this year itself by the Government,
Representatives of Farmers, Regional Economic
Communities, Private Sector, Development
Partners and Civil Society Organisations and
Non-State Actors.
3. CAADP sensitization and activities
Sensitization Campaigns which started in 2012
will be ongoing at the Faculty of Agriculture
during the months of February to April on the
CAADP issue with the involvement of the
Youths, NGOs, Researchers, Non–State actors
and the Government. Women association also
will be included among the stakeholders.
Executive Members of the Agricultural Society
Club of the University were recently invited to a
Sensitization Campaign on the CAADP which
was held on Monday, 18th February 2013 at the
Faculty of Agriculture.
A key principle of the CAADP agenda is to
ensure multi-stakeholder participation; this
includes Non-State Actors (NSA) such as Civil
Society Organizations (CSOs), farmer and
producer organizations, researchers,
parliamentarians, the private sector and the
media. The FANRPAN local Node will be
expected to assist with organizing Multi
Stakeholder Roundtables and give its full
support to the CAADP team once CAADP is
implemented.
Agricultural Society at CAADP campaign
11
Full planet, empty plates
- The new geopolitics of
food security
"World agriculture is now facing challenges unlike anything
before," writes Lester Brown.
World food prices have more than doubled. Lester.R. Brown
brings the threat of famine and social unrest starkly up-to-date.
Brown exposes the business as usual approach to global food
production, under which flat-line production is failing to keep up
with steeply rising demand. Soil, water and amenable temperature
are key to plant growth but erosion, emptying aquifers, drying
rivers, erratic or failed rains and rising temperatures clearly
prejudice the sustaining of yields, let alone increases.
As established in global granaries, yields have suffered from
drought and there appear to be no corrective strategies beyond
restriction of exports and acquisition of land overseas to meet
domestic needs. The land bought or leased is almost invariably in countries already struggling to achieve food
security, themselves dependent on food aid.
Demand for grain has doubled in the past decade, both to feed the 219,000 extra mouths that join the global
family every day and to feed the livestock and poultry that are needed to satisfy the demand of some 3 billion
consumers who are 'moving up the food chain'.
In addition to the uncertainty of meeting future needs should there be a poor season in a major grain producing
country or region, current availability of grain falls short of needs. Where populations already spend 50 per
cent or more of income on food, further price increases can only lead to more hunger.
As the end of the century began to change, we seen prices all time high, but it is not the situation that is going
away, the growth and the world demand for grain has now double, the principle behind is that many people is
moving up the food chain at the same time, they are consuming more of grains as livestock products. Most of
the price depends on the transport, processing, and marketing.
With food scarcity driven by falling water table, eroding soils, and rising temperatures, control of arable land
and water resources is moving to center stage in the global struggle for food security.
Mr. Lobin Keshwar
Bsc Agriculture (spp in land and water management) Year 2
Faculty of Agriculture, University Of Mauritius
12
Page 9
Event 1:
Ile Aux
Benitiers
13
AN INSIGHT OF AGRICULTURE
Agriculture: a mixture of soil and living organisms. Whether be a housewife, an engineer or a
farmer we all have a different perspective on agriculture.
For a housewife the soil is dirt, for the engineer the soil is the basis of construction and for the
farmer it is sacred for his source of living. Agriculture is divided into two main groups; the plants
and the animals. The plants are those that are cultivated and this includes for example, plants for
food, medicinal plants, endemic plants, decorative plants among others. Animals mainly include
livestock such as cattle, pig and goat among many of them.
The history of agriculture begins from the times of our ancestors. In order to survive harsh
conditions and to have continued supply of food for survival, people used to stored food but it
did not last long. Therefore the need arise to have persistent supply of fresh food. Hence
domestication and cultivation start to see the sun.
After years of evolution, this concept has not changed. In fact, new ways have been implemented
to maintain the supply of food. In the contemporize world, new techniques have been devised to
enable us to have abundant supply of fresh food. Examples of such techniques include
biotechnology, biochemistry, aquaculture, pest and disease control and animal science and
production.
Each of these techniques aims to increase productivity and quality of various crop and livestock.
Biotechnology for instance help in-vitro production of plant, from a single mother plant we can
have millions of clones in a very short lapse of time. Pest and disease control enable to eliminate
the potential treats that contribute in the reduction of quality food.
Man cannot survive without the intervention of agriculture. Without the concept of green
revolution, the world would have been plunge in famine. The meat, vegetable or fruit we eat do
not come from the wild state but rather from someone who cultivates or rears it. If shelter and
clothes were not available, mankind would have probably survived but without food (…)
Mr Vagish Ramborun
BSc (Hons) Agriculture (Spp: Land and Water Management) Year 2
Faculty of Agriculture
14
Page 10
Event 2:
Visit to Jawaharlal
Nehru Hospital
(JNH), Rose Belle
15
A Student’s Experience in Agriculture
Personally, Agriculture is a world, where I learnt how to find a key to a broad future. This is the
only field, where I learnt how life began, through a single green plant. Planting, hard working,
perseverance and putting all my love in growing a new plant - it’s like giving birth to a new life
as it began several millenniums ago by the Mother Earth.
Each activities being performed in the Faculty of Agriculture, allowed me to know more about
how the real world functions and a plus knowledge in the business field of Agriculture. One may
not know the importance of Agriculture, but soon after acquiring and experiencing practical
together with theory, one may see a bright future in this field. Landscaping is another fascinating
topic related to Agriculture. I have been inculcated much information (designing, landscaping
plants, native plants, exotic plants, etc) about the landscaping world and how it opens up to
several business opportunities. In my course, other than Landscaping, I got the occasion to learn
about several agricultural systems and applied technologies that were already present in
Agriculture.
Besides all these, several job prospects can be found in Agriculture. Technology works with
evolution and so does Agriculture.
As we say, after each dark period, there’s a ray of light; similarly, without a plant, nowadays
food processing could have been a difficult task.
No Agriculture = No Food!
Go Green, Long Live Agriculture.
Mohnish Seewoonarain (Yash)
Bsc (Hons) Crop Technology (Spp: Landscape Management) Year 3
Faculty of Agriculture
University Of Mauritius
16
Page 12
Event 3:
Agricultural
Fair
17
Pesticide makes bees forget the scent for
food, new study finds
Widely used pesticides have been found in
new research to block a part of the brain
that bees use for learning, rendering some of
them unable to perform the essential task of
associating scents with food. Bees exposed to
two kinds of pesticide were slower to learn or
completely forgot links between floral scents
and nectar.
These effects could make it harder for bees to
forage among flowers for food, thereby
threatening their survival and reducing the
pollination of crops and wild plants.
The findings add to existing research that
neonicotinoid pesticides are contributing to the
decline in bee populations.
It has also been revealed that a separate
government field study on the impact of the
pesticides on bees was seriously compromised
by contamination because the chemicals are so
widespread in the environment.
The government put the field study at the heart
of the UK's resistance to a Europe-wide ban on
the controversial pesticides earlier this month.
The UK was one of nine out of 27 member
states that opposed suspending some uses of
the insecticides across the EU, after
environment secretary Owen Paterson said, "I
have asked the EC to wait for the results of our
field trials, rather than rushing to a decision".
On Wednesday, his department said more field
research was needed.
The new findings on the effect of pesticides on
bee brains showed that within 20 minutes of
exposure to neonicotinoids the neurons in the
major learning centre of the brain stopped
firing. Christopher Connolly at the University of
Dundee, who led the peer-reviewed work
published in the online journal Nature
18
Communications, said it was the first to show
the pesticides had a direct impact on pollinator
brain physiology.
A parallel peer-reviewed study on the
behaviour of bees subjected to the same
insecticides found the bees were slower to
learn or completely forgot important
associations between floral scent and food
rewards. "Disruption in this important function
has profound implications for honeybee colony
survival, because bees that cannot learn will not
be able to find food," said Dr Geraldine Wright,
at Newcastle University, who led the work.
The scientists who carried out the separate field
study for the Department for Environment Food
and Rural Affairs admitted it was "not a
statistically robust study" because of the
contamination issues. The trial results, which
have not been peer-reviewed, showed that 20
hives of bumblebees meant to act as pesticide-
free controls in the experiments were
significantly contaminated owing to the
widespread presence of the chemicals in the
environment. Neonicotinoids are near
ubiquitous in modern agriculture and earn
billions a year for their manufacturers. But a
series of high-profile scientific studies in the last
year has increasingly linked them to harmful
effects in bees. Declines in bees and other
pollinators, which fertilise three-quarters of the
world's food crops, have been linked to habitat
loss and disease as well as pesticides.
Julian Little of Bayer, which makes one of the
neonicotinoids tested in the government study,
said: "We welcome field studies and once again,
when such studies are carried out, there does
not appear to be a link between neonicotinoid
seed treatment use and poor bee health."
But Professor David Goulson, at the University
of Stirling, and whose study in the peer-
reviewed journal Science showed an 85% loss in
queens produced, said: "This study had no
controls and all we can really learn from it is
that bumblebee nests placed on farmland, even
on farms currently using no neonicotinoids, are
likely to be exposed to a cocktail of these
chemicals. Ministers should certainly not be
basing any decisions on this." He added that
while UK ministers and industry criticised
studies in which the pesticide doses were
controlled, the failure of the field study showed
the benefits of that approach.
Alongside the study, the government published
its own assessment of a review in January by
the European Food Safety Authority, which
labelled three neonicotinoids an unacceptable
danger to bees that feed on flowering crops,
and was the basis of the proposed EC ban.
Defra's chief scientist Ian Boyd said: "Decisions
on the use of neonicotinoids must be based on
sound scientific evidence. Our assessment
demonstrates that while we cannot rule out the
possibility of neonicotinoids affecting
pollinators we cannot be clear as to the extent
of their impact. I therefore support the
conclusions that further data based on more
realistic field trials is required."
Sandra Bell of Friends of the Earth said: "Bee
health is far too urgent to wait until more
research has been completed – restrictions
should be placed on these pesticides until bee
safety can be assured." There have been
previous suspensions in France, Italy, Germany
and Slovenia.
Source: The Guardian
19
Event 4:
Anou
Bouzer
20
The More GM Food You Eat, The Less Human
You Become!
n the past Monsanto has said that genetically modified seeds and foods are presumed to be safe. Monsanto said:
“There’s no need to test the safety of DNA introduced into GM crops.” He also claimed that “there is no need for or value in testing the safety of GM foods in humans”. But this doesn’t mean they are proven safe.
As a shocking new study has graphically shown, GMOs are the new thalidomide. When rats eat GM corn, they develop horrifying tumors. Seventy percent of females die prematurely, and virtually all of them suffer severe organ damage from consuming GMO. These are the scientific conclusions of the first truly "long-term" study ever conducted on GMO consumption in animals, and the findings are absolutely horrifying.
Researchers have shown that Micro RNA, which is genetic information has now been found to pass from the foods, through digestion, into your blood and then to attach onto your organs. And there it modifies the functions and the expressions of these organs. This is ground breaking science. And this nullifies the safety claims of Monsanto. You’re more than only eating the proteins, carbohydrates, fibres, vitamins and minerals. You are also eating information! DNAs and RNAs are information.
Maybe that’s why GMOs are causing such widespread infertility. Because the micro
RNA is attaching to receptor sites of the fertility organs and altering the expression or the function of those fertility organs. So what happens when you consume plants that have been altered, artificially concocted in a
laboratory by profit driven scientists working for the most suspicious cooperation in the world?
In other words, you get information that is bad information. It’s not natural information. And when you consume that, that information goes into your body and then begins to program your organs and your cells and your tissues to
behave in a way that is artificial. That’s why the more GM food you eat, the less human you become.
Moreover, Micro RNAs have been widely shown to modulate various critical biological processes, including differentiation, apoptosis (part of the cancer prevention process in the normal human cell metabolism), proliferation, the immune response and
the maintenance of cell and tissue identity. What do you get when your cell does not remember what identity it’s supposed to express? You get a DNA mutation which results in the formation of a cancer cell that goes on to be a tumor!
So GMOs are clearly an anti-human technology. They threaten the continuation of life on our planet. They are a far worse threat than terrorism, or even the threat of nuclear war.
The GMO debate should be over. There is no longer any legitimate, scientific defense of growing GM crops for human consumption. The only people still clinging to the outmoded myth that "GMOs are safe" are scientific mercenaries with financial ties to Monsanto and the biotech industry.
I
21
Event 5:
Paws
22
Sweet Poem on Agriculture
Outstanding in their field, the old joke goes
Farmers are their own breed to be sure
Growing boys, and girls, strong and true
Raising food, caring for the land – in their blood
Outstanding in their fields, doing what they love
Farmers are true to one thing and one thing only
Growing it better, one eye to the sky and one to
ground
Raising hopes, raising dreamers – in their hearts
Outstanding in their fields, eyes to those they love
Farm wives washed in blood, sweat and tears
Growing it at home, in the field and in their souls
Raising it generation after generation – in their DNA.
Outstanding and insane, outstanding and obscure
Farmers are a special breed, and so it should be.
Growing it started in God’s own first garden after all!
Rising hands deep in soil, blooded on the land
Forever
Six generations on this Mauritian soil, with the
seventh standing in the field with his Daddy. More
generations past across the seas. It is in our blood, our
DNA says “Farmer! Rancher!” and of that we are
proud. Looking at this harvest picture I think that
maybe that is the way it is meant to be…for our
family anyway. Every generation needs at least one,
and this is ours.
Miss Urvashi D.D Sumputh
BSc (Hons) Agriscience and Technology – Minor
Extension Year 1
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius
An Agricultural Anecdote
Once upon a time in a faraway village, there lived a
little boy named Liu. He was very naughty; did not
obey to anyone and kept doing mischief all day long.
So, one day his father sent him to visit a monastery;
where a monk took him around. On passing by a
garden, the monk asked Liu to uproot some grass. He
said: “that’s way too easy”, and uprooted them with
only one hand. After some time, they came across a
shrub. Once again, the monk asked the boy to uproot
it. Liu tried with both his hands and succeeded. The
monk kept on asking him to uproot bigger and bigger
trees. He did the work with more and more effort.
Arriving at a gigantic tree, the monk asked him to
repeat his task. The boy replied in a loud voice and
said that it would be impossible. The monk told him
that he should be able to do it. Liu tried and tried, but
could not uproot the gigantic tree till he was
discouraged. It was then that the monk told him:
“This is how bad manners are; if you do not remove
them at a tender age, it will be impossible to do it
once they have grown up and are well rooted”. From
that day on, Liu changed for the better and never
again did he cause trouble to anyone.
Mr M. Nadeem Durbarry
BSc (Hons) Agriculture (Spp: Aquaculture) Year 3
Faculty of Agriculture
University of Mauritius
Poem
Corner..
23
The University of Mauritius (UoM) Farm
The farm of the University of Mauritius is situated near the “Centre National de Formation de
Football” (CNFF) in Reduit. It spread over an area of about 21 acres.
Since its establishment, the UoM farm has been providing inter alia facilities for farm practicals
and research. It comprises of:
Animal Production Units (Broiler and layer chickens, cattle, goats, sheep, ducks, rabbits,
quails)
Crop Museum
Plant Nursery
Greenhouses
Fruit Orchard
Laboratory and Lecture Room
Hydroponic Crop Production Systems
Endemic and Medicinal Plants Garden
Ornamental Plant Unit
Plots (hands-on practical training for students and staff project and for research purposes)
Meteorological Station (for demonstration and research work of the students and
academicians)
Moreover, the UoM Farm has the necessary equipments and assets for its operation. Farming
tools, irrigation systems are available to students and academicians for practical. Also, it is
equipped with a tractor, which helps in transporting fodder to the farm and for other purposes on
the campus.
Adding on to that, the farm is also responsible for the landscaping of the UoM campus. Services
such as planting of ornamental plants throughout the campus, providing potted plants for
functions at the University and regular mowing of green spaces are also entertained by the farm.
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University of Mauritius farm Album
25
True contentment is a thing as active as agriculture. It
is the power of getting out of any situation all that
there is in it. It is arduous and rare.’ We did it! Our
first E-newsletter; The Agriculturist, is here. As a
member of the AS, I wish to express the honor it has
been to be part of it and my gratification now that we
have succeeded. We have aimed to bring you
righteous and virtuous information. Have a delightful
moment reading it! Do give us some response. We
shall be glad to hear from you.
Veshali Barah
(Executive member)
As Public Relations Officer of the Agricultural
Society, it gives me immense pleasure to be part of
this First Ever Online Edition of The Agriculturist.
I sincerely hope that this first edition will be
appreciated by all readers. It is intended to increase
awareness and to share related articles about the
agricultural sector throughout the world.
Hoping to get positive feedback from readers.
Long live FOA
Long live AS
Long live UoM!! Cheers :)
Indradev Ramsurn (PRO)
It is indeed a great honor to be among the
Newsletter Editor for the Agriculturist and it is an
immense pleasure to launch this first edition for
2013. A huge thanks to all the persons who
contributed writing the wonderful and inspiring
articles, without which there wouldn’t have been
this newsletter. Last but not least, I would like to
thank all the members for their everlasting support
throughout the creation of this edition. Cheers
FOA….Sincerely,
Lobin Keshwar
(Executive Member)
Thank you all for your interest in our first time ever
newsletter the aim of this newsletter is to expand the
knowledge and importance of agriculture among
everyone. Let’s help the world to be better by being
environmentally friendly and by keeping growing plants
God bless everyone in this world, God bless us all
Anusha Seechurn
(Executive Member)
The realization of the first ever newsletter
was indeed no easy task and yet we lived
each and every moment of its making by a
code of faith. This, together with the hard
work and dedication of a dynamic team led
to a graceful result, our long awaited
achievement, The Agriculturist. We
sincerely thank all those who’ve
contributed in any way or the other. Enjoy
the read
Huda Nazeer
(Executive member)
Being part of the Agricultural society has
given me a chance to build up my
personality and help others. It is a
wonderful experiment working in a
dedicated group like the Agricultural
society with many ideas fuse together to
give the best one.
Zama
(Event Officer)
26
UoM Students' Agricultural Society 2012/13
Faculty of Agriculture
University of Mauritius
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