Mozambique: Prospects for next agricultural season good; social stability crucial – minister

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Mozambique: Prospects for next agricultural season good; social stability crucial – minister

1:23 CAT | 12 Nov 2024

Photo: O País

Mozambique’s Minister of Agriculture, Celso Correia, said on Monday that the outlook for the forthcoming agricultural season was good, with rain and growth of 5%, but emphasised that “social peace”, in the current context of post-election demonstrations, is essential.

“It is very important to have social peace, because social peace allows us to produce. It allows each family that has its own activity to develop and have its income unaffected. So, among all the conditions, in addition to those of climate, financing and working conditions, social stability is essential for us to have a peaceful campaign next year,” he said.

Since the general elections of 9 October, Mozambique has seen around ten days of strikes and demonstrations, some of which have degenerated into violence, called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognise the results announced by the National Electoral Commission, which gave victory to candidate Daniel Chapo (70.67%), supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, in power since 1975), and which still need to be validated by the Constitutional Council.

Celso Correia, who was speaking in Maputo on the sidelines of the coordinating council of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, predicted that the 2024/2025 agricultural campaign would see growth of 5%, as a result of the expected rains.

“It is important to note that a large part of agriculture in Mozambique is naturally dependent on the level of rainfall, and this year, due to ‘El Niño’, we will have an abundance. All the data we have in our possession indicates that we will have good rainfall, which will allow us to provide the necessary coverage in different terms throughout the national territory,” he said.

“The agricultural calendar has been affected by these climate changes, but the expectation is that in the next campaign we will have good weather, this will have a positive impact on production,” he said.

“At the moment we have good prospects, prospects that indicate growth of over 5% (…), but it will depend on other important factors as well. We know that the level of use of certified seeds is increasing, the use of fertilizers is also increasing, we are expecting to see a recovery in the sugar sector, which suffered losses due to the floods,” he added.

With the consumer market in the south heavily dependent on agricultural imports from neighbouring South Africa, Correia acknowledged the need to “improve” Mozambican competitiveness in the sector.

“In order to be able to compete, [it is necessary] to control the borders a little better, because we also have a lot of smuggling, which makes competition unfair, and (…) we have to help producers improve quality. The market also determines this exercise, but it is a gradual process,” he said.

Minister Correia highlighted bananas as an example, which are already a major Mozambican export product, but he also pointed out the contrasting case of tomatoes.

“We still don’t have enough technology to allow off-season greenhouse production, and the South Africans do. So, when the climate changes in Mozambique, local supplies disappear, leaving us at the mercy of external supplies.” He therefore urged investment, given the “imbalances” in the sector.

“We are monitoring and recording gradual changes. They are not quite the ones we would like – we would like to have total independence, but there are significant advances that show that we are beginning to have bolder agricultural entrepreneurs who are seeking more advanced technologies. We have many young people, particularly in the Maputo area, in the green zones, implementing new technologies and entering the market aggressively,” he concluded.

Source: Lusa