Bio-diversity

1 Executive Summary Rodrigues has a long tradition in the production of basic food commodities of both crop and livestock. Over time we have been observing a change in consumption habits, where consumers find imported products more accessible and a lower cost which has lead to a reduction in local production less people involved in agriculture or small flock size. Despite of this fact, agriculture has remained the central economic activity sector in Rodrigues. It is estimated that around 4000 farmers are involved in backyard family poultry production in Rodrigues. Farmers rear indigenous scavenging chickens, which are known as the local breed, presumably a mixture of Rhode Island Red, Australorp and Naked neck breeds introduced on the islands two to three centuries ago by early settlers. Poultry rearing constitutes an important source of both food and income to many farmers. Almost all Rodrigues families rear a few to hundreds of scavenging chickens which are consumed locally and export also. The birds fetch a high price as it is very tasty and have always been highly demanded especially by the Chinese Community of Mauritius. Local poultry production has remained on amateurish basis as farmers have no structured market for local poultry, they have no training on semi or larger scale fowl production and farmers are hesitant to invest in poultry production as there is no model farm for large scale local poultry rearing in Rodrigues. There is a need to preserve the indigenous fowl of Rodrigues and also to improve its rearing system to have better carcass quality and also preserve the special values (flavor and organic product). This project will concern 3 farms to be grouped to engage in chicks production and 7 other farms to engage in meat and egg production. These will be small farms which will start with 50 to 75 heads to 125 in the first year and aiming at 200 in the 2nd year per farm. Pasture size is not available right now as it will be designed according to the farmers` possibilities. Dead animals if any will be referred to the Veterinary services for enquiry as per usual procedures and disposed of in the appropriate manner. Odor problems are not expected given the distances between the proposed farms and habitations and finally chicken wastes will be collected in bins and composted and compost sold to the local planters. Opportunities The increase in population and the need to achieve self-sufficiency in poultry meat definitely compel this sector for a large increase in production to reach targeted demand of 900 tons by 2015. Local fowl have a promising avenue because it is an almost organic production system. Some challengers of this sector are: - High mortality rate of chicks - Treatment of diseases / Lack of disease control or prevention routine by farmers - Degeneration of breed - Poor marketing structure - Decrease in exportation and competition with imported or lower cost broiler - Loss of fowl in free-range farming As production increases Rodrigues, would be able to reduce its importation of poultry from Mauritius and also increase revenue from export of poultry the export of Fowl by Rodrigues is in a downward trend and was only 190 baskets in 2008 compared to 290 in 2007 and 230 in 2006 and compared to 1999 it was 518 baskets. By ensuring a regular supply of poultry, we would be able to maintain a market for regular supply of Local Poultry as well as eggs. When producing our own fowl feed fewer outflows of cash will be recorded versus poultry production as less imported feed will be required. The beneficiary and implementation team will be farmers from The Rodrigues Local Poultry Association which is the regrouping of farmers of the west of Rodrigues with the collaboration and coordination of the Rodrigues Trading and Marketing Co. LTD. The Association under the impetus and support of the RTMC which is a private company, limited by share with Shareholding Structure of 60% by Rodrigues Regional Assembly (RRA) and 40% by State Trading Corporation (STC), is submitting a project proposal for Improving the Rodriguan Fowl Production in Rodrigues . The RTMC has been established by the RRA to give support to and identify sector of priority in the Agricultural sector of Rodrigues and more importantly to organize a marketing framework for Rodrigues Agricultural products which is one of the major problem facing farmers in Rodrigues that is to sell their products on due time and at a realistic price. The main economic activity of Rodriguans is agriculture and the Rodrigues Regional Assembly has been developing strategy to drive more people to agriculture to fight the problem of unemployment in the island. Several facilities are being provided to farmers to maximise local production through the use of new production techniques and the redeployment of fishers to inland agricultural activities has already started. Most of these fishers are from the coastal regions and have inland agriculture activity as another alternative source of revenue. Poultry production in Rodrigues consists of so called local or Rodriguan fowl as well as the commercial layers and broilers which are imported from Mauritius. The local fowls are a mixture of the Rhodes Island Red, Black Orpington, Black Neck and White Leghorn breeds. The local poultry production is carried on a family poultry farming system and is a source of income and food to the Rodriguan family. Local poultry production is being done on a small scale becaus

Mauritius