9 October 2008
Maputo — Mozambican Agriculture Minister Soares Nhaca on Thursday denied a claim by the former rebel movement Renamo that Mozambique has fewer rural extensionists than Swaziland.
Speaking at a debate on food security in the country's parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, Nhaca said the figure he had given the previous day of 590 extensionists only applied to the public sector. Since a further 759 are employed by companies and NGOs, the real total is 1,349.
With the recruitment this year of a further 185 public sector extensionists, the total will rise still further to 1,534. "We are intensifying recruitment of new extensionists, and equipping them with motorbikes for greater mobility, to increase the number of families who can benefit", said Nhaca.
As for the 50 tractors that had been imported, Nhaca said they had been distributed equitably across the entire country, A further 70 would arrive next February, and 40 in May, bringing the total to 160.
They were being sold to farmers on easy terms. The beneficiaries make a five per cent down payment, and then have five years to pay the rest, at an interest rate of five per cent a year. The first year is a period of grace, so that the farmers will not have to pay more than the initial five per cent until they have used the tractors to bring in the first harvest.
Renamo deputy Antonio Muchanga had on Wednesday accused the Agriculture Ministry of allowing a commercial cattle farmer in the southern district of Chibuto to drive peasants off their traditional grazing land. Nhaca said that while it was true that initially 1,500 hectares were granted to this farmer, when the government investigated complaints from the local community, it reduced the farmer's holding to 600 hectares, and insisted that the peasants had the right to use their traditional land, and also to collect medicinal plants and firewood from the area allotted to the farmer.
Far from being a mere slogan, said Nhaca, the "Green Revolution" advocated by the government was a set of specific policies, expressed in a Food Production Action Plan, which was already bearing fruit, as could be seen by the increased area under wheat production.
Wheat used to be grown only in parts of the western province of Tete. This year, in a drive to reduce wheat imports, wheat is also being grown in parts if Manica, Gaza and Maputo provinces.
It was certainly true that increased agricultural production required more irrigation, and a better use of water resources. Nhaca insisted that the government would press ahead with major new dams that will provide water for irrigation, notably in Moamba district, in Maputo province.
The Green Revolution, he insisted, is an integrated strategy, involving interventions "at all points in the value chain".
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