According to recent data released by the Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture, the production of sugar cane and sugar in Mauritius for the first half of 2026 has shown significant improvement compared to the same period in 2025. As of June 2026, 548 hectares of sugar cane were harvested, yielding 43,228 tonnes of sugar cane and 3,637 tonnes of sugar. This represents a considerable increase from the 284 hectares, 23,399 tonnes of sugar cane, and 1,781 tonnes of sugar recorded in the first half of 2025.
The average extraction rate for sugar production as of June 2026 stood at 8.41%, higher than the 7.61% recorded in June 2025. The Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture estimates that the production of sugar for the 2026 crop will be 225,000 tonnes, marking a 2.1% increase from the 220,305 tonnes produced in 2025. Meanwhile, the area under tea plantation remained steady at 623 hectares as of June 2026, similar to the same period in 2025.
However, the production of green tea leaves experienced a slight decline of 1.2% from 3,030 tonnes in the first half of 2025 to 2,994 tonnes in the first half of 2026. On a positive note, the production of manufactured tea saw a significant increase of 22.6%, rising from 530 tonnes to 650 tonnes during the same period. This indicates a shift towards more processed tea products in the Mauritian market.
In the food crop sector, the area harvested under open fields increased by 3.2% from 4,209.6 hectares in the first half of 2025 to 4,344.9 hectares in the same period of 2026. This led to a 10.0% increase in production, from 67,992.3 tonnes to 74,768.8 tonnes. Additionally, the area harvested under covered cultures saw a substantial increase of 13.8% from 55.9 hectares to 63.6 hectares, with production rising by 32.5% from 6,148.7 tonnes to 8,144.8 tonnes.
The total area harvested under food crops in Mauritius increased by 3.4% from 4,265.5 hectares in the first half of 2025 to 4,408.5 hectares in the same period of 2026. Consequently, the total production of food crops went up by 11.8% from 74,141.0 tonnes to 82,913.6 tonnes. This upward trend suggests a positive performance in the food crop sector during the first half of 2026.
In the livestock sector, beef production from live cattle declined by 8.5% to 1,074 tonnes in the first half of 2026, compared to 1,174 tonnes in the same period of 2025. The production of beef from imported cattle decreased by 10.8%, while local beef production increased from 7 tonnes to 33 tonnes. Furthermore, the production of goat meat and mutton decreased by 4.3%, while pork production increased by 11.3%.
The poultry sector experienced a decline in production by 7.2% from 27,900 tonnes in the first half of 2025 to 25,900 tonnes in the same period of 2026. Additionally, fish production in Mauritius decreased by 11.3% from 18,739 tonnes to 16,624 tonnes. The production of other catch, including tuna and bank fish, dropped by 11.8%, and fresh coastal fish production decreased by 2.4%. These declines indicate challenges in the livestock and fisheries sectors.
Key points
- Mauritius' sugar production is estimated to increase by 2.1% to 225,000 tonnes in 2026.
- The production of manufactured tea increased by 22.6% to 650 tonnes in the first half of 2026.
- Total food crop production in Mauritius rose by 11.8% to 82,913.6 tonnes in the first half of 2026.
