Cooperatives honoured at National Excellence Awards 2026

The winners of the National Cooperative Excellence Awards 2026, held under the theme “Cooperatives: The Power to Act for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future,” were honoured yesterday evening during a ceremony in Ebene. The event was attended by the Minister of Industry, SME and Cooperatives, Mr Aadil Ameer Meea, along with several personalities.

Awards were presented across eight categories, recognising outstanding achievements within the cooperative sector. They are:

Best Primary Cooperative Society - Postal Employees Cooperative Credit Union Limited (Winner), Central Electricity Board Staff Multi-Purpose Cooperative Credit Union Limited (Runner Up); L’Esperance Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society Limited (Special Jury Award)

Best Secondary (Federation) Cooperative Society - Mauritius Cooperative Agricultural Federation Limited

Best Cooperative Society in Rodrigues - United Development Cooperative Credit Union Limited (Winner), Nasolla Cooperative Credit Union Limited (Runner Up), Cooperative Polyvalente Le Solitaire Limitée (Special Jury Award)

Cooperative Society Excelling in Good Governance and Ethics - Cluny Cooperative Credit Society (Winner), Amarnath Credit Tea Marketing Cooperative Society Limited (Special Jury Award)

Cooperative Society Excelling Financial Sustainability - Saint Pierre Co-operative Credit Society

Cooperative Society Excelling in Digitalisation and Use of Technology - Square Deal Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society Limited

Cooperative Society Excelling in Creativity and Innovation - Plantation Vanille Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society Limited

Cooperative Society Excelling in Adoption of Sustainable Green Practices – Surinam Souillac Co-operative Credit Society

In his address, Minister Meea emphasised that the the National Cooperative Excellence Awards 2026 go beyond recognition, celebrating the resilience, commitment, and excellence of a sector that continues to play a vital role in Mauritius’ socio-economic development.

He underlined the vital role of the cooperative movement in national development, noting its longstanding contribution to empowering individuals, supporting entrepreneurship and strengthening communities across sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and finance. He indicated that cooperatives have created income-generating opportunities, promoted collective ownership and encouraged democratic participation across key sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and finance.

The Minister underlined the relevance of 2026 theme, stating that it reflects the adaptability of the cooperative model in an evolving global landscape.

He welcomed the strong participation, with 195 entries from Mauritius and 21 from Rodrigues, describing it as evidence of the sector’s growing dynamism. He also pointed to the introduction of a structured evaluation framework aligned with international standards, ensuring transparency and rigor.

Highlighting the broader role of cooperatives, the Minister noted their continued contribution to empowering communities, supporting entrepreneurship and sustaining economic activity across key sectors. In the current global context marked by economic and geopolitical challenges, he stressed that cooperatives can serve as stabilising forces, particularly in enhancing agricultural production and ensuring food security. He encouraged cooperative societies to innovate, diversify, and seize opportunities in emerging sectors including renewable energy, agri-business, and digital transformation.

He further underpinned the importance of collaboration through clustering, enabling cooperatives to pool resources, improve efficiency and access broader markets.

Reaffirming Government’s commitment, Minister Meea outlined ongoing support measures, including financial and technical assistance, capacity-building programmes, market access initiatives and strengthened governance frameworks. He also pointed to efforts to expand international market opportunities for local producers.

The Minister reiterated Government’s support to building a productive, resilient and inclusive economy, underscoring the pivotal role of cooperatives, and urged continued collaboration to advance the movement and secure a sustainable future for all.

01 May 2026

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