The Institute of Cereals of Mozambique (ICM) carried out a monitoring visit on Monday, June 1, to the Port of Beira, in Sofala province, with the aim of following up on the vessel docking process and the flow of cereal imports destined to supply the central region of the country.
According to a statement reported by the Club of Mozambique, the activity was part of supervisory and coordination actions for the import process of rice and wheat, under Ministerial Diploma No. 31/2026 of April 24. During the visit, the ICM delegation assessed operational procedures related to the handling, storage, and movement of cereals within the port infrastructure, as well as coordination mechanisms among the various stakeholders in the logistics chain.
According to the document, on Monday 15,000 tonnes of wheat and 17,000 tonnes of rice were unloaded, destined for the domestic market, contributing to the country’s food stability and security. These products were imported under the new mechanism implemented and coordinated by the ICM, which allows companies to save on demurrage costs—fees charged to ships waiting in port—previously exceeding 750,000 dollars.
On the occasion, the ICM Director-General, Luís Fazenda, highlighted the importance of close cooperation between the government, importers, port authorities, and logistics operators, stressing that effective coordination and proper planning are key factors in achieving set targets, with a focus on logistical efficiency, regular supply, and strengthened national food security.
The official also met with representatives of Cornelder de Moçambique and the Beira Grain Terminal (BGT), reinforcing coordination to ensure the efficient implementation of the new cereal import management model and establishing mechanisms to improve port logistics and timely information exchange.
In January, through a Ministerial Decree, the government announced that it would move to “exclusive” importation of cereals, mainly rice and wheat, through the Institute of Cereals of Mozambique (ICM). The measure aims to curb illegal foreign currency outflows, ensure market supply, and stabilize domestic prices of these essential goods.
Following this decision, the Confederation of Economic Associations (CTA) warned that concentrating rice and wheat imports under the ICM could jeopardize investments worth more than 500 million dollars, as well as lead to the loss of 30,000 jobs.
“The measures in question put at risk more than 10,000 direct jobs and over 20,000 indirect ones, and could lead to the rupture of already signed international contracts, direct non-compensable financial losses, reduced private investment, and a weakening of the state’s tax base,” the organization stated in a letter sent to the Ministry of Economy.
In the same document, the private sector warned that operators have already invested more than 500 million dollars, arguing that replacing private businesses with a centralized model undermines existing investments, devalues industrial and intellectual property assets, and weakens consumer confidence.
The business community also highlighted the “structural insufficiency in domestic rice production, which is currently unable to meet internal demand in terms of volume, diversity, and regularity,” noting that a shift in the current model would require 300 hectares suitable for cultivation, including irrigation systems and 30 processing units with a combined installed capacity of around 1.5 million tonnes.
Source: Diário Económico
