Thank you very much, hon. Member. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, following implementation of the revised rental, Rose Belle Sugar Estate Board received representations from a number of planters located at Bananes, requesting that the increase in the lease be reconsidered. Consequently, a meeting was convened on 02 February 2026 at Bananes, which I personally attended along with representatives of the Ministry, Rose Belle Sugar Estate Board, and the three hon. Members representing the Grand Port region. During the meeting, the planters expressed concerns that the revised rental was excessive and claimed that the agricultural potential of the land was comparatively low, bringing less revenue than expected. In response, Rose Belle Sugar Estate called for a meeting with the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI) and MSIRI in April 2026, where both organisations were requested to make a survey of the area so as to establish the current status and agricultural potential of the land. The survey consisted of comprehensive field assessments, soil analysis, evaluation of the productive potential of the land, and identification of crops best suited for cultivation in the region. The reports of both institutions are currently in progress. Pending receipt of these reports, Rose Belle Sugar Estate Board will adopt an interim arrangement, whereby the 14 lease holders concerned will be charged an annual rental of Rs15,000 per arpent, subject to review at a later stage. Now, this interim measure reflects the Board's willingness to accommodate the concerns expressed by the lease holders while awaiting the outcome of independent technical assessment. Furthermore, a request of Rose Belle Sugar Estate, FAREI will work closely with the planters by identifying and facilitating access to the various Government support schemes, grants and technical assistance programmes available to small planters. The objective is to improve farm productivity, enhance profitability and assist planters in offsetting part of the production cost, including lease rentals, thereby ensuring the long-term sustainability of their agricultural activities. The Rose Belle Sugar Estate Board has, at its level, established a dedicated technical support team to work in close collaboration with FAREI and other relevant institutions in providing continuous guidance to beneficiaries of the scheme at large. This collaborative approach seeks not only to maximise agricultural productivity but also ensure that land is utilised efficiently and sustainably for the benefit of both planters leasing land with Rose Belle Sugar Estate, and the country as a whole. Rose Belle Sugar Estate Board remains fully committed to supporting small planters and contributing to the Government's food security objectives. At the same time, the Board has a fiduciary responsibility to ensure prudent management of the public assets entrusted to it while maintaining its financial sustainability. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is important to emphasise that the Rose Belle Sugar Estate Board is an autonomous statutory body that receives no financial assistance from the Ministry for either its recurrent expenditure or its capital investment programme. The Board is, therefore, entirely responsible for financing its operation and development activities with its own internally generated revenue, principally from sugarcane operation and the leasing of its land assets.

Yes, hon. Ramdass!

Yes, I thank the hon. Minister. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the meantime, those planters – about 25 of them – from the Bananes village have received letters imposing acceptance of the substantial increase of 266%. So, would the hon. Minister consider the possibility of having a word with the Rose Belle Sugar Estate so that the appropriate communication is sent to those 25 planters in order to avoid some sort of panic amongst those 25 planters?

Only last week, I had a meeting with the General Manager of Rose Belle Sugar Estate, impressing upon him to be fair and, hence, the reason as to why the lease agreement was revised, but we hope that it will be sustained beyond a year. But I thank all three hon. Members of the constituency for putting the case across very forcefully to me. Thank you.

The Hon. Second Member for Vieux Grand Port & Rose Belle! CONSTITUENCY NO. 11 - BALLISON ROSE BELLE SOCIAL HOUSING PROJECT DELAY – ALLOCATION TO BENEFICIARIES