Maputo — The Mozambican Minister of Agriculture, Roberto Albino, has challenged the private sector to prioritize agricultural development projects so that the country can achieve food self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imports.
Speaking at the High-Level Panel during the 21st Annual Private Sector Conference (CASP), which is taking place in Maputo, the minister said that government's priority is to achieve food self-sufficiency, develop a competitive agro-industry, and transform Mozambique into an exporter of value-added agricultural products.
"We must focus on structural projects. The country cannot replace food imports valued at around one billion US dollars annually through meager investments. Instead, it is necessary to mobilize public and private resources on a scale commensurate with the existing challenges", he said.
According to Albino, developing irrigation systems in partnership with the private sector is vital, particularly as climate change limits the viability of relying solely on rain-fed agriculture.
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"We are not talking about systems built solely by the State to support smallholder farmers, but rather systems built in partnership with the private sector. We also need for tax reforms and a reduction in production costs, including energy, water, and fuel tariffs for producers and agro-industries as a way to encourage greater business participation in the agricultural sector", he said.
For his part, Onório Boane, Deputy Chairman of the country's Confederation of Business Associations (CTA), advocated for a clear definition of the roles played by the State and the private sector in the economic transformation process, emphasizing that the government must create conditions for investment while businesses generate wealth and jobs.
"The government has its role, and the private sector has its role. We expect the government to build confidence, ensure stability, and remove obstacles. Right now, we have excessive bureaucracy, high production costs, difficulties in accessing finance, foreign currency shortages, and infrastructure limitations as some of the main barriers to business competitiveness", he said.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of Economy, Basílio Muhate, said that the structural transformation of the economy is a national priority, grounded in industrialization and increasing the country's capacity to add value to existing resources.
"We must process our products here in our country to add value and create more jobs and income for families. Agribusiness and the extractive industry are strategic sectors for driving national industrialization", he said.
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The minister added that strategies require large-scale investments with small and medium-sized enterprises, thereby creating conditions for national resources to contribute to economic growth and job creation.
