Vodacom donates seeds to Maputo farmers – AIM report

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Vodacom donates seeds to Maputo farmers – AIM report

8:00 CAT | 07 Aug 2018

Photo: Conselho Municipal de Maputo, Facebook

Farmers in the green belt of Mozambique’s capital city Maputo on Monday received 400 kilogrammes of seed for growing a variety of vegetables such as tomato, carrot, pepper, and cabbage. Mobile phone operator Vodacom Mozambique donated the seeds as part of its social responsibility obligations in response to a request by Maputo city Mayor David Simango.

Speaking on behalf of Vodacom at a ceremony to hand over the gift, Paula Zandamela explained this donation will help farmers struggling to make a living, especially those affected by the flooding which hit the city during the last rainy season.

Zandamela stated, “this support aims to ensure farmers have the seeds to grow the crops we know Maputo can produce”.

She added that the project will also distribute seeds in the provinces of Maputo, Gaza, Sofala, and Cabo Delgado. There are also plans to expand it throughout the country.

Addressing the recipients of the donation, David Simango said he believed this offering will help to minimise the suffering of 2,400 producers who lost their crops to flooding in the last harvest. He added that seeds will also be given to farmers who did not lose out in the floods.

The Mayor stressed, “this is significant support as these families’ income comes through agriculture”.

Simango also revealed work will shortly begin cleaning and dredging the Mulauze canal, which runs along the green belt between the city of Maputo and the municipality of Matola. He pointed out that it is silted up and rainwater cannot reach the sea, posing a flood risk.

The budget for Vodacom’s national initiative is 7,500,000 meticais (about 130,000 US dollars at current exchange rates).