Poor sugar crop in Mauritius

The drought that has hit Mauritius since the end of 1998 has seriously dented the sugar crop, now down to 340,000 tonnes compared with an annual potential of 625,000 tonnes. One of the worst-ever crops in the history of the island, it means a loss of E 149,5 million. The sugar quota operative under the ACP-EU protocol (500,000 tons) cannot be met, even if reserves are factored in. Other ACP producer countries will gain, by being allocated extra quotas for the deficit.The drought that has hit Mauritius since the end of 1998 has seriously dented the sugar crop, now down to 340,000 tonnes compared with an annual potential of 625,000 tonnes. One of the worst-ever crops in the history of the island, it means a loss..