The JFS Group announced on Thursday 5 December that, through Sociedade Algodoeira do Niassa JFS, SA (SAN-JFS), it has successfully completed its emergency assistance mission in the cotton-growing area of Cabo Delgado, reinforcing its role as a central player in supporting small farmers and preserving an agricultural crop of enormous historical and economic importance to the country.
According to a statement from the company, following the collapse in 2022 of the cotton concessionaire in Cabo Delgado, thousands of small farmers have been deprived of the possibility of marketing their product in the 2021-2022 campaign.
In view of the seriousness of the situation, the JFS Group responded to the call from the Cotton and Oilseeds Institute of Mozambique (IAOM) by submitting an open proposal for the purchase of all outstanding production from that campaign. In just three weeks, the final terms of the operation were established, allowing SAN-JFS to successfully market around 1,700 tonnes of seed cotton in record time, worth 56 million meticals, safeguarding the livelihoods of approximately 4,500 families.
Recognising the positive impact of this intervention, IAOM asked SAN-JFS to ensure, on an emergency basis, the promotion of cotton cultivation in the 2022-2023 campaign, in order to avoid a total halt in production while a definitive solution for these areas was structured. ‘Despite the limited time for agricultural preparation, SAN-JFS provided, at its own risk, the necessary inputs and means to support around a thousand producers, resulting in a production of 350 tonnes of seed cotton, with a total value of 11.5 million meticals for the families involved,’ reads the note.
With the public tender process for the final award of the concession still underway, IAOM asked SAN-JFS to extend its emergency promotion activities into the 2023-2024 campaign, this time covering 2,000 families. ‘This action culminated in the production of 660 tonnes of seed cotton, worth 20 million meticals, confirming the transformative impact of the work carried out by the JFS Group on behalf of the rural communities of Cabo Delgado,’ the statement said.
The company also clarifies that the emergency mission in Cabo Delgado has come to an end, following the award of the concession to another entity, and with the formal closure of the 2023-2024 agricultural campaign. ‘The JFS Group takes this opportunity to express its deep gratitude to its partner farmers, the local authorities, the National Cotton Producers Forum (FONPA), as well as its dedicated workers and suppliers, whose collaboration was essential to the success of this operation,’ the document reads.
