Most Arable Land Unused in Zambezia

15 May 2011

Maputo — There are about eight million hectares of potentially arable land in the central Mozambican province of Zambezia, but currently only 1.3 million hectares (16.3 per cent) is being used for agricultural and livestock purposes.

According to a report from the provincial government presented to President Armando Guebuza during a working visit to Zambezia, in his “open and inclusive presidency”, the province also has 416,000 hectares which could be irrigated. But currently only 12,581 hectares possess irrigation infrastructures.

The report said that grain production in Zambezia declined by 21.4 per cent in 2010, compared with the previous year’s figure. This was blamed on poor rainfall, causing the loss of over 119,000 hectares, mostly of maize and rice, in the districts of Maganja da Costa, Chinde, Morrumbala and Mopeia.

Nonetheless, productivity actually increased – from 2.65 tonnes per hectare in 2009 to 2.74 tonnes per hectare in 2010.

The provincial government attributes this improvement in part to six agricultural fairs held during the 2009/2010 agricultural campaign, which benefited 5,146 farmers, the distribution of 938.6 tonnes of improved seeds, increased prices for crops, and the increased use of animal traction in ploughing.

But cotton prices fell in 2010, and peasants reacted by abandoning this cash crop, and switching to sesame and pigeon peas instead. This year the trend may be different, since cotton prices have recovered dramatically, and the farmers may switch again.

AllAfrica – All the Time