The Mozambican government on Thursday called for stronger practical training for young Mozambicans in agriculture, warning that many students complete agriculture-related courses without sufficient field experience.
The position was presented by Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Roberto Albino, representing President Daniel Chapo, at the Mozambique-Portugal Agro-Food Forum organised by the Association of Young Farmers of Portugal (AJAP) in Maputo.
Roberto Albino acknowledged that the country has young people with technical and vocational qualifications, but argued that a persistent gap remains between what is taught in educational institutions and the practical demands of agricultural production. “What they learn at school is more theory than practice. There are many agronomists who graduate from university having never ploughed a field, having never carried out an irrigation,” he said.
According to the minister, some students understand the concepts and follow demonstrations through digital tools, but have never installed or calibrated an irrigation system, for example.
To close that gap, the minister pointed to incubation as one way to give young people practical experience in a controlled environment before they move into productive or business activities. “That is where incubation — which is a way of placing practical experience in a controlled environment — gains great relevance,” he explained.
Roberto Albino pledged full government support for initiatives aimed at bringing young people closer to real production environments and facilitating knowledge transfer. “We support this one hundred percent and we will also collaborate to materialise this path that bets on transferring knowledge to our young people,” he said.
The minister argued that cooperation with Portugal should help shape future Mozambican entrepreneurs and agro-industrialists through the introduction of technology, knowledge, and investment. “We want you to bring investment in technology, investment in knowledge. Bring technical and vocational training here, to train our young people, so that they become the future entrepreneurs, the future agro-industrialists of Mozambique,” he said.
Roberto Albino also stressed that Mozambique should not be content to function merely as a market for imported food products. The priority, he argued, must be attracting companies capable of producing and processing goods locally. “Let Portugal bring, indeed, knowledge, technology, and investment,” he said.
The minister cited rice production and oil processing among the sectors where Portuguese companies could establish operations in the country, helping to substitute a portion of imports currently sourced from other markets.
Roberto Albino added that the investment potential extends beyond domestic consumption, given that Mozambique can serve as a productive and logistical base to supply other countries in the region. “I can assure you that the Mozambican market is far more than the Mozambican market. It is the regional market,” he said.
According to the minister, a production and distribution platform established in the country could serve a regional market estimated at 300 million people. Financing was also identified as a necessary condition to translate training and partnerships into concrete business projects. Roberto Albino accordingly called for the acceleration of mechanisms to disburse the €15 million announced by Portugal to support initiatives by Portuguese companies in Mozambique.
The minister said cooperation between the two countries should translate into concrete investments, modernisation of Mozambican enterprises, and mutually beneficial partnerships between Portuguese and Mozambican business operators.
The Association of Young Farmers of Portugal (AJAP) is a private, non-profit organisation with the status of a Non-Governmental Organisation for Development, recognised as a body of public utility. It represents young Portuguese agricultural entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 40, both in Portugal and abroad.
With more than 40 years of activity, AJAP works with public and private entities, promotes the internationalisation of agricultural enterprises, and has participated in the European Council of Young Farmers since 1983. The organisation also advocates for the interests of young farmers and rural development.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/07/30/negocios/agronegocios/governo-defende-formacao-pratica-dos-jovens-para-impulsionar-a-agro-industria/
