Mozambique can be self-sufficient in potatoes

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Mozambique can be self-sufficient in potatoes

11:16 CAT | 07 Apr 2018

O País

Mozambique has the appropriate conditions to grow enough potatoes to satisfy its domestic requirements, according to Sergio Gouveia, the director of AC Matama, an agricultural company on the outskirts of Lichinga, capital of the northern province of Niassa, which produces seed potatoes.

Gouveia, speaking to a government delegation headed by Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario on Friday, said that, if Mozambique were to cease importing potatoes, that would save the country three million dollars in foreign exchange every year.

He believed there is “absolutely no reason” to continue importing seed potatoes, given the favourable agro-ecological conditions in various parts of the country, including Niassa.

“Mozambique imports seed potatoes, mostly from the Cape Town region of South Africa, where the production conditions are similar, and no better than those of Lichinga and other cool regions of Mozambique”, said Gouveia.

“We have virgin soils, irrigation and ploughing equipment, and staff trained to produce world quality seed potatoes”, he told reporters. “What is missing is an established market to absorb the seed. We can produce it here, instead of people going to buy it in South Africa”.

“That’s what we were discussing with the Prime Minister”, he said, “about how we can turn things round and take advantage of our own existing capacities”.

Currently, AC Matama produces 470 tonnes of seed potatoes annually, while the country needs about 2,500 tonnes – but Gouveia was confident that production can be ramped up quickly to meet demand.

“We have the capacity to produce according to the needs”, he said. “We have sufficient water and space. The product just has to be put on the market immediately, because we have limited storage. Potatoes deteriorate rapidly. But we can also set up cold storage facilities”.

“If they contact us, we can produce seed potato of international quality and supply the domestic market”, Gouveia insisted.

The company has an area of 3,800 hectares, but is currently only exploiting 1,200 hectares. In addition to seed potato, it also produces maize and soya.

Agriculture Minister Higino Marrule, who accompanied Rosario, said that AC Matama is developing an ambitious product fitting in with the government’s desire to produce good quality and certified seed. “This makes a difference in agricultural production and productivity”, he said.

“We are encouraging the company to continue its work, and expand still further its seed production”, continued Marrule. “It is seed produced locally, by Mozambicans, and certified by Mozambican technicians, but it’s world quality”.

AC Matama he said, had made a great step forward in import substitution. This was key to the government’s goals of saving foreign currency, and increasing food production.

Despite the poor state of the roads, the company states proudly that is has managed to place its produce “at competitive prices” in distant markets, including Maputo, over 2,000 kilometres to the south.

Source: AIM