Mozambique: FAO distributes 180 tonnes of bean and maize seeds

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Mozambique: FAO distributes 180 tonnes of bean and maize seeds

7:32 CAT | 01 Apr 2019

Photo: Twitter / @FAOnews

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is to distribute 180 tonnes of bean and maize seeds to Manica and Sofala provinces devasted by Cyclone Idai, it was officially announced on Monday.

“At the moment, water levels are lowering, and it is crucial that the government, FAO and its partners act quickly”, FAO’s representative in Mozambique Olman Serrano said.

Cyclone Idai has destroyed around 500,000 hectares of crops in the affected provinces in central Mozambique, according to the organisation’s figures, while the Mozambican government estimates 669,000 hectares have been affected.

A significant farming area has been flooded before maize and soy harvesting, and the most affected provinces were Sofala and Manica, which contribute 25% of production.

Cyclone Idai swept through central Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe on 14 March.

The Mozambican authorities on Monday updated the death toll to 518, 17 more than the previous total.

According to the latest update from Mozambique’s National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC), a further 1,641 were injured by the cyclone and its effects.

In addition, more than 146,000 people are currently living in reception centres.

Hon. Higino De Marrule, Min. of Agriculture & Food Security of #Mozambique thanks @FAO & @FAOMozambique Rep. @olmanserranoj for “all the efforts made to assist farmers who were hardest hit by floods & to revive agriculture for families in rural areas, where most of pop. lives pic.twitter.com/adEURUoPOe

— FAO Mozambique (@FAOMozambique) 1 April 2019