Mozambique Leaf Tobacco (MLT), a subsidiary of Universal Leaf Tobacco, plans to increase tobacco production in Manica province, in the centre of the country, from 4,000 tonnes last season to 7,000 tonnes in the 2024-25 agricultural campaign, according to the newspaper Noticias.
According to the report, the decision is driven by increased demand for this cash crop, as explained by Manica’s provincial director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ernesto Lopes.
‘The initiative is the responsibility of the concessionaire Mozambique Leaf Tobacco, which in the last campaign allowed production to reach 4,000 tonnes of tobacco. This season, we want to increase production by 3,000 tonnes and we hope to reach 7,000 tonnes,’ he said.
He pointed out that producers are being encouraged to grow tobacco and maize, with the aim of ‘ensuring food security for the population’, explaining that the plan includes mass production of sunflower, in response to increased demand from international partners.
‘For the harvest that is about to begin, we have a production plan of around two thousand tonnes. With the reintroduction of these crops, we hope to conquer new markets and contribute to boosting the province’s economy,’ he said.
Lopes added that ‘these two cash crops can make a significant contribution to increasing producers’ family incomes and help achieve the planned production levels’. Production is initially being implemented in the districts of Báruè, Guro and Mossurize.
For the 2024-25 agricultural season, Manica province plans to produce around 3.7 million tonnes of different crops. To achieve this goal, an estimated area of 1.55 million hectares has been prepared.
Figures from the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries indicate that, if reached, this target will represent an increase of 1.5% on the last campaign, which saw production of 3.5 million tonnes, out of an initial plan of 4.4 million tonnes.
Meanwhile, Lopes said that in some regions of the province, producers have already started preparing the land with the support of agricultural technicians. Small farmers are being sensitised to the use of certified, short-cycle seeds as a measure to adapt to climate change.
‘It’s essential to opt for certified short-cycle, drought-tolerant seeds, taking into account the effects of El Niño,’ he said, adding that “this year the rains should be normal and higher than expected, so producers are being advised to take advantage of the early rains,” he concluded.
