Mozambique’s agricultural sector is scaling up climate-adaptive solutions, with greenhouses and boreholes already enabling farmers in Manhiça district to produce vegetables throughout the year, reducing dependence on rainfall.
The information was provided by the National Director of Agriculture, Jabula Zibia, during a visit by parliamentarians from Germany and Luxembourg to projects supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) at the Maluna Administrative Post in Chicumbulane, according to the Mozambique Information Agency. ‘With the greenhouses and the boreholes, they are already able to produce vegetables all year round,’ Zibia said.
According to the director, the experience highlights the need to develop alternatives to rain-dependent production amid growing unpredictability in agricultural cycles. ‘We want the majority of producers not to produce depending on rain, but to be able to produce in a more sustainable way,’ he stated.
To expand these solutions, the government has planned the rehabilitation of irrigation systems damaged by flooding and the drilling of additional boreholes for irrigation. The strategy also includes the production of first-generation seeds in partnership with the Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique, with the aim of increasing the availability of certified seeds produced locally.
‘These first-generation seeds are extremely important, because they will determine the quantity of certified seeds produced locally,’ Zibia said, adding that the recovery of agricultural mechanisation equipment is another priority for raising productivity.
Farmer capacity-building through agricultural extension services forms a further component of the strategy, given that the adoption of new technologies requires knowledge for their effective use. ‘More difficult is the knowledge. That is why our extension services are also playing an important role,’ the director said.
During the visit, the European parliamentarians learned about farmer experiences and the solutions adopted to increase production and reduce community vulnerability to climate change.
German parliamentarian Johannes Wagner highlighted the impact of international cooperation and the role of women in the projects visited. ‘I will do my best to take the message back to Germany and Luxembourg, as well as to continue fighting to support Mozambique,’ he said.
The delegation, comprising two German and two Luxembourgish parliamentarians, also visited projects in the areas of livestock, artisanal fishing, and aquaculture, as part of broader efforts to increase production and improve food security.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=534668
