More than 3,600 hectares of rice have been declared lost in the district of Maganja da Costa, in Zambézia province, as a result of flooding in the Lower Licungo area, caused by the intense rainfall that marks the current rainy season.
The floods affected extensive agricultural fields, compromising production in one of the district’s main farming areas, located along the northern coastal belt of Zambézia, in central Mozambique. Local authorities have acknowledged a significant impact on the ongoing agricultural campaign.
District data indicate that, in recent days, the rains have affected more than 11,000 hectares out of the approximately 94,000 hectares that were ploughed and sown across the district, reflecting the scale of the damage caused by the floods.
The Director of the District Services for Economic Activities of Maganja da Costa, João Jaime, explained that the Munda Munda and Intabo irrigation schemes were the most affected, as they are located in low-lying areas and depend directly on the course of the Licungo River.
According to the official, the Lower Licungo Nante area is particularly vulnerable to flooding during periods of heavy rainfall, as it crosses several rural communities where irrigated agriculture is the main source of household subsistence. João Jaime added that most of the affected producers belong to the family farming sector and that, at this stage, farmers are carrying out sowing in higher areas as a way to reduce the impact of floods on crops.
The strategy involves sowing in elevated areas, with a view to later transplanting to the usual fields, in an attempt to minimise losses and ensure some recovery of agricultural production in the district.
Recently, the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction reported that, in the current rainy season, 85 people have died, 70 have been injured, and 105,100 people have been affected nationwide.
Source: Diário Económico
