Mozambique: Unknown pest threatens cashew production in Manhiça, Maputo province
Courtesy photo Feed the Future (File photo)
Farmers and agribusiness across the Chimoio district are celebrating the opening of the new “Casa do Agricutor” (“Farmer’s House”) store providing a variety of agriculture-related products. As a result of a partnership between the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Technology and Consulting Company Agro-Pecuária, Lda. (TECAP), farmers now have access to equipment, inputs and products that will help increase agricultural productivity.
Agriculture continues to be the mainstay of Mozambique’s economy, contributing more than a quarter of GDP and employing 80 percent of the workforce. However, the vast majority of Mozambican farmers only produce enough food to feed their own families. This situation may change because, with the innovations in agriculture that lead to increased agricultural productivity, Mozambique has enormous potential to become a major food producer in southern Africa.
Chimoio’s “Farmers’ House” will provide farmers with the tools they need to transition from family-only to commercial agriculture. “The ‘Casa do Agricultor’ model is an innovative concept and has the potential to revitalise the agricultural sector in Mozambique, making smallholders more efficient and more productive, while creating a sustainable market for commercial agricultural enterprises in the country,” USAID agriculture official Kenneth Hasson said in his keynote address at the inaugural event.
Chimoio’s “Casa do Agricultor” is part of a larger project supported by USAID through the Partnership for Innovation with Feed the Future and private sector partner TECAP. This initiative will support more than 18,000 small farmers in Manica, Nampula and Tete.
The “Farmer’s House” model has as a priority the investment in small farmers and creates greater market opportunities for the products they grow. Bridging the gaps in agricultural productivity, improving standards and accessing new markets are key to Mozambique’s economic development. Sustainable growth in the agricultural sector is the solution to improving the lives of Mozambicans in rural communities.
The partnership with (TECAP) is managed by the “Feed the Future: Partnering for Innovation” USAID-funded program that helps the private sector scale and market agricultural technologies.
For more information on Feed the Future: Partnering for Innovation, visit www.partneringforinnovation.org.
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