Mozambique: AfDB disburses 33 million dollars for food security, climate resilience

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Mozambique: AfDB disburses 33 million dollars for food security, climate resilience

6:27 CAT | 08 Feb 2024

File photo: Notícias

The African Development Bank (AfDB) will disburse $33 million (€30.7 million) for actions to promote food security and climate resilience in Mozambique, the institution’s representative in the country told Lusa on Wednesday.

“The first objective is to address food security issues in Mozambique by increasing agricultural productivity and reducing post-harvest losses, and the second is to improve livelihoods by creating jobs and increasing income in the agricultural sector,” said Cesar Augusto Mba Abogo.

In order to achieve these objectives, the funding will go towards projects to improve nutrition, encourage the private sector to increase its involvement in the agricultural sector, and promote the value chain in the production of poultry, maize and soya, he said.

The AfDB representative also pointed out that the investment is also aimed at creating jobs in agriculture.

In another area, that of Mozambique’s climate resilience, Cesar Augusto Mba Abogo mentioned the installation of meteorological radars in the cities of Nacala, in northern Mozambique, and Xai-Xai, in the south, to instal early warning systems to prevent and mitigate the impact of climate change.

These devices are in addition to a radar already installed in Beira, in the centre of the country, as part of a project outlined by the Mozambican government to place seven radars in various parts of the country.

“One of the obstacles to agricultural productivity in Mozambique is climate change, and this project is structured in such a way as to strengthen climate resilience in the country,” emphasised the AfDB representative.

Cesar Augusto Mba Abogo said the AfDB’s board of directors approved the funding in January as part of the co-financing of the Mozambican government’s agri-food value chain development programme.

The programme, which has several partners, is budgeted at $150 million (€139 million) and is part of the actions to transform agriculture by capitalising on value chains that allow links between production centres and markets.

The initiative is expected to benefit at least 58,000 producers.

READ: Mozambique: AfDB grants loan of 40 million dollars to CFM – AIM report

Mozambique is considered one of the countries in the world most severely affected by climate change, facing cyclical floods and tropical cyclones during the rainy season, which runs from October to April.

The 2018/2019 rainy season was one of the most severe on record in Mozambique: 714 people died, including 648 victims of cyclones Idai and Kenneth, two of the biggest ever to hit the country.

Source: Lusa