The Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries has made 20 million US dollars (1.2 billion meticais) available to finance the seed production chain, improve storage facilities, and acquire necessary equipment.
“The funds will be allocated to agricultural product sellers and seed-producing companies, as well as used to modernize warehouses, purchase trucks, and hire seed multipliers. The budget will also support those who wish to produce on a large scale to supply agro-industries, and it will contribute to the purchase of tractors and water pumps,” states a press release published by Lusa.
Quoted in the statement, the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Roberto Albino, emphasized that the goal is to transform agriculture into a profitable business in order to reach a level of production that can feed the entire country.
The minister explained that a reform of the seed chain is currently underway, highlighting that the digitalization of services plays a key role by enabling the registration and tracking of local seed production actors and limiting the circulation and sale of counterfeit seeds, as well as curbing corruption.
“All financing programs facilitated by the ministry will operate exclusively through digital platforms, on which all actors in the seed chain must register to avoid the existence of phantom farmers, providers, and other operators. Anyone not registered in the system will not be eligible to receive funds,” he warned.
In June, the government launched a new food security strategy aimed at reducing chronic child malnutrition in the country, which has been worsened by climate change. Called the “Food and Nutrition Security Policy and Strategy (PESAN)”, the initiative focuses on investing in healthy and nutritious agriculture to tackle food-related problems.
At the time, the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries stated that the country has made progress in reducing food insecurity, but chronic malnutrition, especially in children under five years old, remains high, affecting 37% of this age group.
“To address this issue, PESAN 2024–2030 was developed with the aim of integrating multisectoral efforts to ensure food and nutrition security across the country. The document aims to provide quality technical assistance and create mechanisms to encourage those with technical and professional training to share their knowledge with nearby producers,” said Albino.
The minister further explained that the Food and Nutrition Security Policy and Strategy is the result of a long public consultation and multisectoral participation process that began in 2021, establishing “a strong connection among key stakeholders and including a resource mobilization component to ensure its effective implementation.”
Source: Diário Económico
