Some Impressions of the Sugar Industries of Mauritius and Reunion

During September 1969 the author visited both Mauritius with peaks not much higher than 1000 latest technical developments on those two islands. The first comment that must be made is that at both places the hospitalilty of the officials of the sugar companies is overwhelming and there is real evidence of great progress in their industries. There is also a tremendous contrast between the two islands both in geophysical nature and in economic background. Reunion, with its tallest peak of 3 069 metres, has a very high labour wage whereas Mauritius and RCunion for a short survey of the metres still benefits from relatively lower labour costs. Sugar from RCunion is sold in the European Common Market at a high price because that island is considered to be part of metropolitan France and, of course, at the moment, Mauritius has the advantage of British Commonwealth preference price.