Mauritius-beaches, beautiful waters, and sugarcane plantations! Know the history of sugarcane plantations and its use!

Are you visiting Mauritius? Then you must read this. This is because most websites talk about clean white beaches of Mauritius and the great seas. But you will be amazed the moment you catch a cab to reach your destination. On both sides of the roads, you will see vast sugarcane plantations. Not many websites talk about this amazing agriculture of Mauritius. Scroll down for details on the sugarcane plantations in Mauritius, how it came to be there and what is the current status of this miracle crop!!!

Mauritius-the history of sugarcane

Mauritius has seen three main occupations of the island-first was the Dutch from 1638 to 1710 followed by French from 1710 to 1810. Later came the British from 1810 to 1968.

1.      Sugarcane was the first agricultural crop that was introduced on the island. The Dutch settlers used it from 1639 to make arrack which was an alcoholic beverage made from the molasses. The latter is left-over after the making of sugar. Wilhems brothers had the first organized sugar mill on the island. It was at the center of the island and was under the governorship of Governor Issac Johannes Lamotius (1677-1692). The surgeon, Jean Boekelberg arrived on the island on board the ship Standvastighied. He had studied sugar making in Surinam and used this knowledge for expanding this business on the island. However, the Dutch abandoned the island on 17 February 1710.

2.      French people colonized the island in 1710 and naval officer with French East India Company, Bertrand-Francois Mahe de La Bourdonnais founded the French colony there. He encouraged the growth of this crop on the island. He imported some new technology so that sugar making can flourish on the island. Under his guidance as a Governor, the modern-day sugar mills started. Thus the Rosalie-Villebague mill in Pamplemousse in 1745 and the mill at Grande Riviere Sud Est in Ferney were born.

3.      British Mauritius-It was after the British landed on the island that rapid social and economic changes happened on the island. On 1 February 1835, they abolished slavery. The French people had exported people from Africa and Madagascar for slavery. There were freed and the planters got a compensation of 2 million pounds for loss of their slaves. More sugar mills cropped up and new technology was introduced into them. The sugar mills were consolidated and the number came down but the sugar yield increased.

Sugarcane in Mauritius [Source: CNBCTV18]

From 1951, the sugar produced was exported and sold under the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement. In 1953, The Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute was formed. The country got its independence in 1968. The EU Sugar protocol ended in 2009 and after that sugar prices fell 36%.

Mauritian sugar-This sugar is unrefined and has locked-in benefits and is wholesome and healthy. Considering the amount of sugarcane grown on the island, it is a surprise that the number of shops selling fresh sugarcane juice is very limited. In fact, there is only one shop in Caudan, Port Louis that sells it (Info Courtesy Ms. Premila R, Port Louis, Mauritius). Sugar is money and the planters get more money selling it to sugar mills on the island.

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Sugarcane and electricity production

Mauritius is trying to get away from fossil fuels for electricity production. It is using the sugarcane crop stalks and tips (bagasse) to produce electricity by burning it. Around 14% of the electricity on the island is made from it. The other modes used are hydro, solar and wind. Together these 4 modes of electricity generation provide around 25% of the electricity needs of the island. Thus their reliance on coal and oil for it has fallen. The government plans to increase this share of renewable energy to 35% by 2025. The carbon-di-oxide greenhouse gas liberated during bagasse burning is captured and used to add fizz to soft drinks.

Bagasse to electricity [Source: Phys]