Agri Clinic, an agriculture business with two purposes |02 October 2013

Opened about three months ago, Agri Clinic – which sells packets of flower and vegetable seeds and small pesticides containers – also has a small farm attached to it used as a research station. Located near the Béolière clinic, the shop is doing brisk business as there was a demand for such products in Seychelles. One may remember some time ago when Meghjee Kalyanji shop in Victoria used to sell such packets of seeds. But this day has long gone but not the demand.

Agri Clinic is aiming more at home gardens where individuals, especially housewives, can come buy their flower and vegetable seeds and plant them at home.

“There are a variety of seeds for all tastes. Of flowers we have a variety of zinnia, marigold, sunflower, ‘reine marguerite’, ‘belle de nuit’, ‘pisanli’, to name a few. As for vegetables there are seeds for lettuce, chilli, tomato, eggplant, pumpkin, melon, peas, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, parsley, rougette and much more,” says Barry Nourrice, Agri Clinic’s manager and owner. He is assisted by a sales assistant, Despina Amade, a 1999 graduate of the School of Agriculture. Ms Amade’s background in agriculture is a great asset to Agri Clinic.

As for Mr Nourrice he has vast experience in agriculture research gained from years of work at the Anse Boileau agriculture research station.

“It all started when I met Marie Claude Toussaint, who currently resides in Italy and already has a business in agriculture there together with her husband. As we both have a great love for agriculture we decided to set up Agri Clinic,” says Barry. Ms Toussaint provides the finance and certain office equipment but the farmland is leased to me by the government of Seychelles,” says Barry.

He says he normally tests his products like seeds and pesticides before selling to clients just to confirm their effectiveness. As for the handling of pesticides, Mr Nourrice is already qualified as he has a certificate to prove that. For the record he gained a Certificate of Competence from the ministries of Education and Health for the Handling and Application of Pesticides organised by the Seychelles Agricultural and Horticultural Training Centre and the Pesticide Board.

“I would like to have more people doing home gardening to learn how to better handle pesticides. They will get better products and their plants and vegetables will not be attacked by pests. But to achieve that they need to follow a course by the Ministry of Health in how to handle pesticides, which I strongly recommend,” Barry says.

“Then both sides will reap the maximum benefit from Agri Clinic,” he added.

Agri Clinic has its own pesticides store where the chemicals are stored in the way required by law and by the health authorities. The most popular one is Bayo which is environment-friendly.

The farm is already thriving with eggplants, a rare type of cabbage (which Barry describes as ‘pointed cabbage’ due to its oval ad pointed shape), parsley and corn. The grounds are also being prepared for more variety of vegetables. Some potted flower plants were also there.

“Whenever a client phones exclaiming his or her joy over one of my agricultural products – be it flowers or vegetables, I am more happy than them and this gives me the strength and encouragement to go on. It’s not about not being sure of myself – I am – but it is always a happy feeling to have people express their appreciation,” concludes Mr Nourrice.