At 54 years old, married and mother to a 29-year-old son, Madhvi Jhamna is part of our network of small-scale farmers. This courageous woman lives in Moka and has been cultivating land for over 15 years. When she joined our network, she was primarily growing lettuce, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and herbs on a one-arpent plot. She also occasionally produced cauliflower and green cabbage.<\/p>\n
Coming from a family of farmers, Mrs. Jhamna was used to helping her father during harvest time from an early age. Her in-laws were also in agriculture, giving her all the tools she needed to follow the same path. Though she holds a diploma in secretarial studies and works as an exam invigilator at the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate (MES), it was after her marriage that she truly felt the call of the land. Bored at home, she turned to agriculture \u2014 initially as a source of supplementary income, but soon as a personal commitment.<\/p>\n
Her husband, a retired truck driver, is a key support in her work, helping her daily with land preparation and planting. On weekends, Mrs. Jhamna hires three to five part-time workers, but it is she who devotes the most time and energy to the crops. \u201cIt helps me exercise and lose weight,\u201d she jokes.<\/p>\n
Eleven years ago, the family faced a life-changing event when their son was diagnosed with a serious illness. This ordeal brought them even closer together and made Mrs. Jhamna rethink the importance of health and food. \u201cWe\u2019ve come to understand the real value of health,\u201d she says emotionally.<\/p>\n
Since then, she has advocated for more responsible consumption and encourages people to rediscover the true taste of pesticide-free vegetables. \u201cThey taste exceptional,\u201d she adds, noting that these vegetables even keep just as well, if not better.<\/p>\n
What she enjoys most about her work is when the whole family comes together in the field. \u201cIt\u2019s a real pleasure, a team effort,\u201d she says. For her, working the land is both a profession and a form of therapy. She feels more at peace in her garden than on any social outing. It is her balance.<\/p>\n
Among the challenges she faces, she mentions the effects of climate change, particularly extreme temperatures and flash floods. She also regrets the lack of youth interest in agriculture and the difficulty in finding labour:<\/p>\n
\u201cYoung people probably prefer a manicured hand over a working hand like mine \u2013 but it\u2019s a choice I stand by with pride,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Thanks to her involvement in the Smart Agriculture programme, Mrs. Jhamna has been able to deepen her knowledge and apply new techniques to her farm. Today, she uses far fewer pesticides:<\/p>\n
\u201cA plant doesn\u2019t need to be treated systematically \u2014 what it needs is water,\u201d she explains. She observes first and only treats when necessary.<\/p>\n
This thoughtful approach has allowed her to specialise in green cabbage, purple cabbage, and lettuce, and expand her cultivation area to two arpents. She now supplies her produce to Mauri Food Ltd, which collects it on a regular schedule. These vegetables are then processed and marketed under the Bonduelle brand or even served in KFC menus across the island.<\/p>\n
Her dream is to further expand her farm and continue working in this profession that she deeply loves.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Jhamna remains optimistic about the future. She believes in positive change and openly shares the message of a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat matters most is what\u2019s inside us and what we put into our bodies. Too often, people only care about appearances \u2014 a pretty face, manicured nails, branded clothes, money… But health comes first. We need to know what we\u2019re eating.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At 54 years old, married and mother to a 29-year-old son, Madhvi Jhamna is part of our network of small-scale farmers. This courageous woman lives in Moka and has been cultivating land for over 15 years. When she joined our network, she was primarily growing lettuce, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and herbs on a one-arpent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":195,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-smart-agriculturecommunity"],"yoast_head":"\n