Inhaca’s sustainability plan costs two million meticais – UEM

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Inhaca’s sustainability plan costs two million meticais – UEM

11:55 CAT | 05 Jul 2017

File photo / Orlando Quilambo

An Eduardo Mondlane University sustainability plan for Inhaca Island, in Maputo city province, and its 6,000 inhabitants, could cost around two million meticais [around US$33,000 at current exchange rates] for six months of action, Diário de Moçambique reports.

The initiative awaits the approval of the government and municipal council of the city of Maputo for its implementation.

These and other elements were unveiled yesterday in Maputo, the rector of UEM, Orlando Quilambo.

Speaking on the sidelines of the twelfth regular session of the Maputo executive, Quilamdo said the study was recommended by President Nyusi during his visit to Inhaca last June.

At the time, the president urged UEM to set up a testing station which, after mapping the area and studying the soils, could recommend crop types, identify a number of households, follow up on product and support the activity of agricultural workers.

Also Read: Inhaca Marine Biology Research Station capacity gets a boost

Studies carried out by the university, which has a Marine Biology Station on the island, verified that the island has only 700 hectares of land available for agriculture, of which 86 hectares are fertile land and the remaining 514 are sandy and have poor water retention.

The existing fertile land is already used for subsistence agriculture.

To make this activity more sustainable, the UEM plans to create an association of farmers and livestock producers so that they can be trained in sustainable production, pest and disease control, and soil and water management technologies.

The plan also proposes veterinary assistance and the introduction of new animal species.

The university found that dairy cattle breeding would be unsustainable in Inhaca Island owing to the severe shortage of drinking water, of which cattle need 8.5 litres per litre of milk produced.

“Inhaca Island does not have the water supply for bovines and the humans resident there or for types of agriculture heavily dependent on water.”

inhaca,uem

Dairy cows require a large amount of water for their maintenance and milk production, contrary to what is the case in Inhaca. Without water and without food, in the medium and long term, the animals would be doomed, as would be the case, in the medium term, of the Island itself and with it the cities of Maputo and Matola,” the plan says.

The document says that as well as for animals, residents and the local ecosystem, the introduction of dairy cattle and hydroponic crops in Inhaca Island is unsustainable.

To prevent invasion of protected areas and fields by animals, the plan proposes the creation of a community pasture area and training of farmers to plant forage trees.

In to make the fisheries component sustainable, the introduction of marine aquaculture and training in fish processing practices are recommended as the only way to increase income and produce species with high protein content.

Greater availability of meat could be achieved by increasing production of ‘Landim’ chicken, introducing dual-purpose birds and promoting other small species such as swine and rabbits.

According to Quilambo, the implementation of the plan requires joint action between the UEM, the Maputo city government, Maputo municipality, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Ministry of Land, Environment and Rural Development (MITADER).

If the plan is approved, the activities will be financed by UEM, other government institutions and partners, and require the cooperation of local authorities.

Source: Diário de Moçambique