The Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Fisheries, Roberto Albino, announced on Wednesday, July 1, that 75 million dollars will be made available to finance the purchase of certified seeds as part of the 2026-27 agricultural season, emphasizing that the goal is to ensure a predictable market for the private sector and encourage increased domestic production.
Speaking in Maputo during the opening of the National Seed Conference, held under the theme “Quality Seeds: A Guarantee of Increased Production and Productivity,” the minister stated that the government intends to ensure stability in seed demand and stimulate private investment in the sector.
Quoted by Agência de Informação de Moçambique, Albino explained that the funds will be channeled toward the purchase of seeds for strategic food crops—namely corn, rice, and beans—through financing mechanisms for producers, ensuring that the funds are not diverted for other purposes.
“There is money that can only be used to buy seeds. We want to give the private sector the assurance that there is a market for producing in quantity and with quality,” he said, noting that this year’s floods exposed weaknesses in domestic production, forcing the country to rely heavily on imports.
On that occasion, the minister called on the private sector to expand domestic production, ensuring market predictability through 2030, and argued that the seed sector should operate on the basis of competition and the relationship between supply and demand, rejecting speculative practices in price formation.
The minister also announced that the national seed traceability and certification system is expected to become operational by next September, as a way to strengthen quality control and combat the circulation of counterfeit seeds.
Last week, the government said it would criminalize the sale of counterfeit seeds as part of new legislation that provides for the introduction of a mandatory tracking system using QR codes on packaging. “Selling counterfeit seeds will become a crime. Starting with the next agricultural season, seed packages will be sealed and will feature a QR code,” he stated.
According to Roberto Albino, the system will make it possible to identify the producer, the certifying body, and the facility responsible for processing the seeds, as well as to access technical information about the product, thereby enhancing transparency and quality control in the agricultural market.
The new law, which the government plans to submit to the Assembly of the Republic next year, will classify seed counterfeiting as a crime of fraud, providing for prison sentences for offenders.
