Reply: The Development Bank of Mauritius (DMB) Ltd. offers three types of loan scheme to encourage new plantation activities. These are as hereunder –

146 (i) Cane Replantation Loan Scheme The Scheme aims to encourage planters to renew some 10,000 Ha of land under sugarcane plantation. It has also been extended to planters willing to bring back their abandoned land into cane cultivation. Small and large planters, cooperative societies, companies and those sociétés recommended by the Mauritius Cane Industry Authority (MCIA) are eligible for the loan at the rate of Rs66,000/arpent. An interest rate of 2.5% per annum is applicable and the repayment period is up to five years, including a moratorium of one year. According to the MCIA, all planters who consign their canes through Credit Cooperative Societies are also eligible for this loan through their respective Cooperative Societies. Loans for the total amount of Rs553,750,000 have been approved by the DMB Ltd. for 25 beneficiaries under the scheme. These include two cooperative societies which benefitted from a loan of Rs4,104,000 for the replantation of some 69.3 arpents of land under sugarcane plantation. (ii) New Agricultural Loan Scheme A maximum loan of Rs10 million to finance up to 90% of the cost of a project is offered to individuals, companies and cooperative societies to finance any activity linked to agriculture and agro-industry. The interest rate is 3.5% per annum and the repayment period is up to seven years, including a moratorium of one year. Only one application for Rs1,285,000 has been received at the level of the DBM Ltd. under this scheme and same has already been disbursed. (iii) Rehabilitation Loan Scheme The Scheme has been operated on two occasions, that is, following the passage of cyclones Batsirai and Belal, respectively. The loans carried interest rates of 0.5% per annum and 1% per annum, respectively. Two cooperative societies have benefited from the loans for the aggregate sum of Rs710,000. My Ministry also offers various facilities to encourage and support those planters who are willing to initiate plantation activities. These include –

147 (i) a 75% subsidy offered to planters on the selling price of onion, potato, garlic and bean seeds to alleviate the significant financial cost involved in the purchase of seeds; (ii) a subsidy of Rs3,000/arpent up to a maximum of five arpents provided to registered small food crop growers for agricultural land mechanisation works on their fields; (iii) a subsidy of 50% on the cost of fertilisers provided to vegetable, fruit and flower growers for one crop cycle under both open field and protected culture, and (iv) a 75% subsidy provided on the purchase of locally produced fertilisers (liquid fertilisers, bio fertilisers and composts) to help planters shift from imported chemical fertilisers. In view of the crucial role played by Cooperative Societies in facilitating financial access for small and medium-scale planters, the Ministry of Industry, SME and Cooperatives also implements grant schemes to boost local food production, such as – (i) the Boost to Local Production Scheme under which a grant of Rs300,000 is provided for the purchase of equipment, and (ii) the Seedlings Production Scheme whereby a grant of Rs250,000 is provided for the setting up or consolidation of Seedling Production Units for vegetables and fruits. PRIMARY & SECONDARY SCHOOLS – REPORTED DRUG CASES (2015-2024)