Project: Establish an international quarantine facility, to exchange sugarcane germ-plasma among ACP countries.

Site: Mauritius: Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute (MSIRI)

Rationale: ACP countries are located in various parts of the world with different soil and climatic conditions, pests and plant diseases.

The objective of the previous projects is to increase plant exchanges in developing varieties that will be spread throughout the ACP countries for field testing and commercial production.

Obviously, exchanging varieties between ACP countries must not lead to an exchange of diseases that may also spread throughout the cane production of any of the ACP countries and ruin their sugar industry.

Objectives: Quarantine facility established and all sugar cane varieties exchanged between ACP countries are disease (or pest) free.

Assumptions/Risks: The main risks and assumptions are represented below:

• Quarantine facilities are used, accepted and considered as essential by all ACP countries.
• No smuggling will be admitted by any local authorities.
• Quarantine facilities meeting international standards for plant exchanges are available in due time.

Expected outputs: Quarantine facilities are available and all varieties exchanged between ACP countries are disease and pest free.

ACP countries concerned: Mauritius and all ACP countries