Mauritius participated in several FAO initiatives including training workshops and surveys. FAO also funded a project in Rodrigues, an autonomous region of Mauritius, to map land suitability and develop a natural resource information system. The project trained local resource persons in soil surveying, sampling, and analysis to characterize soils across 250 locations and inform sustainable agricultural land management critical for Rodrigues' food security given its limited land area of 108 km2.

1. COUNTRY REPORT:
MAURITIUS
L R Ng Cheong

2. Participation in FAO training
GSOCseq - International Training Workshop
• 2 resource persons from the University of Mauritius
• 3 resource persons from Forestry Services of the Ministry of
AgroIndustry and Food Security

3. Participation in FAO surveys
Report about Soil Laboratories
• Participated in survey
• Mauritius being a very small country, there are only two
public soil laboratories
Replied to SoilEX questionnaire

4. FAO funded project
Strengthening rural development planning in Rodrigues
through land suitability maps and natural resource
information systems
Project number: TCP/MAR/3701

5. FAO funded project
Objectives
Rodrigues: an autonomous region of the Republic of
Mauritius with a total land area of only 108 km2.
Agriculture: backbone of economy of the island.
But: limited land resources available.
To achieve food security: sustainable management of
agricultural land is essential.

6. FAO funded project
Soil survey, sampling, and analysis
12 resource persons trained on field survey methods, soil
sampling and analysis (250 locations):
• Field teams to conduct field survey and collect soils samples.
• Laboratory teams for soil preparation and analysis.

7. FAO funded project
Soil survey, sampling, and analysis
Parameters determined:
• Stone content
• Texture
• Soil organic carbon
• N, P, K
• pH
• Electrical conductivity

8. FAO funded project
1.Updated and detailed land suitability and other maps for
land management development plan.
2.Natural Resource Information System accessible to relevant
stakeholders produced.
3.Training provided on production, use and updating of
natural resource data, land suitability maps and on overall
land resources planning process.