Three new agricultural producers’ associations in Boane and Namaacha districts, Maputo province, Mozambique have joined the Agro-Mozal project.
The project currently covers 12 farmer organisations in the country, which benefit from support in agricultural inputs and equipment, as well as technical assistance.
The Mata-Fome Association, in Boane district, is one of the three new Agro-Mozal members. It has 25 producers.
“We are very happy, because we have suffered for a long time and we have not seen anything like this,” the association’s president Sebastião Tseco said.
“It is an important initiative, because we worked without knowing why and, today, with this help, we are motivated and we are very grateful.”
Agricultural extensionist Celso Matsinhe, who is assisting the Mata-Fome producers, added the inputs and the equipment will significantly improve their production process.
The Associação dos Regantes de Manguiza, also in the Boane district, joined the Agro-Mozal project.
“We are going to make more effort to guarantee production and productivity, because we have much of what we need to work in this second agricultural season,” the association’s president Daniel Silva said.
The Agro-Mozal project guarantees farmers with the necessary support to boost production and productivity to newly admitted associations.
“We are sure that these three associations that have now been admitted will see their lives transformed through increased production and productivity, with all the assistance and knowledge that the project will provide, including inputs that it will make available, as you can see,” Patrício Manjate, the director of the Agro-Mozal project, said.
The authorities in Boane district, represented by the district administrator Guilhermina Kumagwele, witnessed the first delivery of inputs to the Regantes of Maguiza, and expressed their commitment to doing everything to justify the support.
“I believe that the farmers will quickly demonstrate the result of the Agro-Mozal support,” Kumagwele said while praising the efforts towards galvanising agricultural production.
In Namaacha, the Association of Strawberry Producers of Namaacha (APMONA) was selected to join the Agro-Mozal project.
APMONA was at the ceremony presented with seeds and equipment, including pumps and components such as automated sprayers, which will transform and improve the association’s production.
“We will use it, take good care of it and protect it. We are very grateful to the Agro-Mozal project for these inputs and equipment, which we did not have before,” said the president of the APMONA Association.
The supply truck travelling through Boane and Namaacha brought more than just equipment and supplies: it carries the hope of better days for hundreds of producers.
The Associação Regantes de Mafuiane, which has 237 members and covers an area of 170 hectares, brings with it the impetus in production and the recognition of the farmers themselves.
Amélia Honwana is one of the association’s producers, and a beneficiary of the initiative.
“The Agro-Mozal project is going well, we have all the inputs and assistance,” she said.
The 12 associations covered by the initiative have received equipment and agriculture inputs, which has been transforming lives in Boane and Namaacha since 2019.
“After the recent rains, it is necessary to take advantage of the fertility of the soils and plant for the second 2021-2022 agricultural season,” agricultural extensionist Amilton Nicols, assigned to the district of Namaacha, said.
Agro-Mozal said it was satisfied with the growth of the organisation.
“The project is satisfied, because the producers are improving their income, their productivity and their lives. The feedback we have is positive – levels of productivity have risen since we incorporated these associations,” Patrício Manjate said.
Agro-Mozal is a project formed by aluminium smelter Mozal, and is implemented by the SOICO Foundation.
