Mozambique produces about 2 million tons of fruit annually and between 30% to 50% of the fruit and vegetable production is wasted due to lack of incentives to stimulate investment in processing industries.
It is estimated that the losses are around one billion dollars, so the government intends to reduce the figure of losses to 10% in the next five years, this, ensuring greater access to improved technologies of post-harvest management by producers.
Currently, fruit production is dominated by family farmers, representing 3.9 million (98.7%) units of small farms (0.5 and 1.5 hectares). In the same vein, there is a small segment of fruit growers made up of Small and Medium Enterprises, which produce for the market (national and international), where the contribution of this sector to the country’s economy is only 12% of exports.
Meanwhile, speaking during the delivery of fruit dryers to producers and producer associations in Manica province, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Celso Correia, said the technology transfer component – SUSTENTA, aims to develop the productive chain of fruit farming through the aggregation of value and integration of the small farmer in the market.
Specifically, Correia stressed that it is intended to make better use of wasted fruit, through drying/dehydration, preserving its nutritional value, as well as, adding value to fruit production, through stimulating the consumption of dried fruit and Market linkages.
“The knowledge of technology use will be spread from 4 technology transfer centres, established in the provinces of Inhambane (2 in Vilankulo District and 1 in Homoíne) and Sofala (Nhamatanda District), which will serve as a promotion of the integration of the small producers in the local, national and international fruit market, stimulating the fruit consumption and dissemination of drying techniques for a better fruit utilization ‘for long periods”, said the leader.
For this action, the Minister made known that the intention is to cover individual fruit producers and associates, fruit producers with some insertion in the market, fruit growers with links to fruit processing companies (producers who intervene as fruit suppliers), as well as, producers with big production waste.
“The impacts will be measured based on SUSTENTA indicators at the level of increase in family income, employment generation, local and country economy and Chronic Malnutrition,” he concluded.
It is known that the average annual per capita fruit consumption in the country is 61 kg, which corresponds to 167.12 g/day against 400 g/day recommended by FAO and WHO, and dried fruit is preserved by dehydration or drying to concentrate the flavour and sugar in order to extend the useful life.
