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3.77. Plant import permits issued by the National Plant Protection Office (NPPO) are required for plants and plant parts and various other regulated items. [46] In total, they apply to 426 tariff lines. A permit is required for each consignment; it is valid for four months and subject to a fee of MUR 100 (USD 2.5). (...)

[46] These regulated items are (...) planting media and rooting compost; (...) organic fertilizer and microorganisms, beneficial organisms, and biological control agents.

3.79. Mauritius introduced new legislation regulating the use of pesticides, based on Codex standards for food additives and contaminants (Use of Pesticides Bill, 2018), which entered into force in September 2018. The main objective of the law is to regulate, control, and monitor imports and the use of pesticides in or on certain fresh fruits, plants, seeds, or vegetables with a view to, inter alia, minimizing risks to human health and the environment.

3.80. Mauritius enacted the Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) Act in 2004, which entered into force partially in 2005 (Parts I-V). A National Biosafety Committee was set up to develop regulations on imports, exports, and transit of GMOs. The GMO Act 2004 is currently subject to review by the National Biosafety Committee, which is seeking the legal vetting of the State Law Office. According to the authorities, any proposed changes to the GMO regime will be notified to the WTO.

3.117. The Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) has the mission of promoting research for sustainable development in order to enhance quality of life. In April 2020, a special call for proposals was launched by the MRIC to encourage entrepreneurs, academics, researchers, enterprises, and start-ups to submit proposals for projects on both technology-based products and services and for policy measures. (...). , the MRIC approved the funding of 26 projects for a total of MUR 28.6 million (USD 715,000).

3.130. Although the protection of plant varieties was envisaged in the Seeds Act of 2013, it does not provide for the protection of new plant varieties, which should fall under the Industrial Property Act (IPA) . Mauritius is not yet a member of the International Union for the Protection of the New Varieties of Plant (UPOV), but the IPA is, according to the authorities, in compliance with the UPOV regime.

4.1. Agriculture including forestry and fisheries accounted for 3.9% of GDP in 2020 and 6.9% of total employment in 2019 (40,300 people). (...) Mauritius is prone to natural disasters, particularly cyclones, causing serious damage through flooding and wind. [1]

[1] The last major cyclones that caused serious damages were Cyclone Dina on 20-22 January 2002
and Cyclone Gamede on 22-25 February 2007.

4.4. In the livestock subsector, Mauritius is roughly self-sufficient in poultry meat production. Production of milk and red meat has made little progress in recent years, mainly because of the high costs of production, (...) difficulties in complying with environmental regulations.

4.7. Mauritius' agricultural policy during the review period was guided by the Food Security Strategic Plans of 2013-15 and 2016-20. (...) The Plan had the objective to enhance food security by generating a significant increase in local production in food products towards self-sufficiency, thereby reducing the agricultural trade deficit. This was to be achieved through a shift to sustainable agricultural practices and eco-friendly methods of production and protection conducive to safer and better human nutrition. Also, the establishment of an Agricultural Risk-Management Framework was planned to increase the resilience of farmers to address their vulnerability to climate change. The budget for implementation of the Framework was MUR 1,103.24 million for the crop sector, MUR 1,507.8 million for livestock, and MUR 218.8 million for forestry.

Table 4.3 Agricultural incentive schemes, FY2019/20
Scheme: Subsidies to crop producers (compost)
Description: A 30% subsidy for small planters for locally produced compost to promote use of organic inputs.
Expenditures (MUR): 0
Notified in terms of: Non-product-specific AMS
(...)
Scheme: Scheme for certification of bio foods
Description: Grant of MUR 100,000. To facilitate access of small-scale food crop producers to internationally recognized organic certification systems. Scheme terminated in FY2020/21.
Expenditures (MUR): 0
Notified in terms of: -

Table 4.3 Agricultural incentive schemes, FY2019/20
Scheme: Rainwater harvest scheme
Description: 50% grant on the investment cost, to encourage farmers to capture and store rainwater to ease the pressure on drinking water used by agriculture and industry.
Expenditures (MUR): 0
Notified in terms of: Non-product-specific AMS