The preliminary assessment by Mozambique's National Directorate of Agriculture, presented by its director Jabula Zibia, points to approximately 2% growth in cereal and legume production during the 2025-26 agricultural season, despite floods and inundations that affected several production areas. Vegetable output may rise by around 7%, while rice production is expected to decline by approximately 5%.
The performance represents a recovery in agricultural activity following a campaign that opened under adverse weather conditions. Output in the second growing period helped offset part of the losses recorded in the first phase.
Rice, however, is expected to buck this trend. According to Jabula Zibia, the floods and inundations that struck the provinces of Gaza and Sofala are among the principal causes of the estimated 5% reduction in output of that crop. He added that interventions carried out among affected producers helped recover part of the productive capacity lost at the start of the season.
The results should nonetheless be read against the targets set before extreme weather events occurred. At the launch of the campaign, Mozambique had projected output of around 3.4 million tonnes of cereals — representing 7% growth over the previous season — along with 929,000 tonnes of legumes and more than ten million tonnes of roots and tubers.
According to the National Directorate of Agriculture, support provided to flood-affected producers included measures to restore and reinforce output. Replanting, the use of alternative areas, and second-season production helped compensate for part of the losses, particularly in zones with water availability and favourable moisture conditions.
These interventions unfolded against a backdrop of significant differences in weather conditions across the country's various regions.
National Rice Production
Monitoring data from the National Meteorology Institute indicated that the 2025-26 rainy season began earlier than average across much of the territory, but recorded delays in some areas, including parts of Sofala, Inhambane, and Gaza. Subsequently, episodes of heavy rainfall and flooding affected several agricultural zones.
The impact of the floods prompted the government to prepare recovery measures. In May, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Roberto Albino presented a plan estimated at approximately US$120 million to address the effects of the floods on the sector and support production recovery. At the time, the government acknowledged the losses but maintained the expectation that final output would not fall far short of initial projections.
The preliminary growth in cereal and legume production indicates that part of agricultural activity managed to recover, although national-level results do not imply that all affected households have made good their individual losses.
In the vegetable segment, where output may grow by around 7%, recovery may have been aided by the existence of multiple production cycles, depending on the characteristics of each crop and the availability of water.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=546035
