PM urges investments in Inhambane agriculture

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PM urges investments in Inhambane agriculture

7:27 CAT | 19 Jun 2017

Mozambican Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario on Thursday encouraged Mozambican and foreign private businesses to invest in the development of agriculture in the southern province of Inhambane.

Speaking at the opening in Inhambane city of an Inhambane Provincial Investment Conference, held under the motto of “Together for a prosperous Inhambane”, Rosario noted that Inhambane’s agricultural production so far in the 2016/17 agricultural campaign is 2.8 million tonnes of crops – which is a 30 per cent increase on the previous year (however, production in the 2015/2016 year was hit by serious drought across all of southern Mozambique) .

These positive results, Rosario said, justified a call for further investment in agriculture in the province. “Bearing in mind that Inhambane province has about two million hectares of arable land, we call on all those involved in agriculture to maximize this potential”, he declared.

It would thus be possible, he continued, to increase food production, reduce imports, and promote exports, thus contributing to food and nutritional security and to the generation of foreign currency.

The Prime Minister urged businesses to bank on adding value to the chain of production in agriculture and fishing, encouraging agro-industries and making agriculture in the province a profitable commercial activity.

Rosario also encouraged investment in other areas where Inhambane has potential, such as fisheries, agro-processing, tourism, energy and hydrocarbons.

The conference is also intended to help achieve the goals the Inhambane Provincial ten year Strategic Plan, approved in 2011. The main goals of this plan are an annual increase of eight per cent in the province’s gross domestic products, and a reduction in the incidence of poverty from 57.9 per cent in 2009 to 40 per cent in 2020.

According to the Inhambane provincial governor, Daniel Chapo, the mid-term assessment of the plan showed an average GDP growth rate of 7.4 per cent a year, and a reduction in poverty by 2016 to 48.6 per cent.

“This is the context in which the provincial government is holding this conference”, said Chapo, “in order to attract investment to the strategic areas for the development of the province, and thus guarantee that in the coming years the GDP grows by an average of eight per cent”.

Source: AIM