The Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture (MCA) has announced that sugar production fell by 3.1% in 2010 compared with 2009, and that production in 2011 is likely to fall still further. It stated that production had fallen despite good weather during most of the growing and harvest season. By contrast, climatic conditions so far this season have been poor, and the MCA said that production in 2011 is unlikely to match that in 2010. After falling sharply in 2005-07, sugar production has remained persistently low despite the priority given by the government to restructuring and reforming the sector. There are indications that the 36% fall in the EU guaranteed price since 2006, together with the euro's decline in value, is driving out small-scale planters.

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