STORY: "Sweet Island" sets sights on Chinese market for sugar export
SHOOTING TIME: Oct. 11, 2024
DATELINE: Oct. 13, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:10
LOCATION: Port Louis
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of sugar cane farmers and businessmen working in fields
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): DEVESH DUKHIRA, Chief Executive Officer of the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate (MSS)
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): GUNNESS BHURUTH, Sugar businessman
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): DEVESH DUKHIRA, Chief Executive Officer of the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate (MSS)
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): GREGORY BATHFIELD, CEO of Alteo Milling Ltd, the largest sugar factory in Mauritius

STORYLINE:

Mauritius is also known as "Sweet Island" due to the island's most important crop, sugar cane.

In recent years, cooperation between China and Mauritius is on the rise thanks to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.

The Sweet Island is eyeing the Chinese market to revitalize its sugar industry.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): DEVESH DUKHIRA, Chief Executive Officer of the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate (MSS)
"For generations, I should say sugar was the backbone of the economy. Today we will be talking more of the cane industry rather than only sugar. The good thing about sugar cane, you have the sugar and then you have a bagasse which is used to produce electricity. And then another co-product is molasses from which we produce ethanol and alcohol."

However, since the turn of the century, the Mauritian sugar industry has encountered serious challenges.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): GUNNESS BHURUTH, Sugar businessman
"Mauritius is a small island. It's quite isolated. So we have the freight problem. Going to Asia, going out even to Europe, take so much time and now there's a rise in the freight price. It's getting even more difficult for the containers to be able to be shipped to the world market."

In January 2021, a Free Trade Agreement between China and Mauritius came into force. The trade agreement has proven to be a game-changer.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): DEVESH DUKHIRA, Chief Executive Officer of the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate (MSS)
"So the idea of this agreement was to export the sugars to complement what is already being produced in China, rather than replacing the sugars produced in China. And this is where we find China an interesting market. Well, first of all, these sugars, as the name, special sugars, they are sold at higher prices, they targeted at niche market segments. The fundamental difference is our sugars are additive-free."

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): GREGORY BATHFIELD, CEO of Alteo Milling Ltd, the largest sugar factory in Mauritius
"It was really a breakthrough for Mauritius because it allows Mauritius to sell increasing amount of special sugars to China. It will be a great achievement and it will really bring more remuneration to all the stakeholders."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Port Louis.
(XHTV)