Maputo — Mozambican government intends to establish a technical and financial mechanism aimed at introducing Belarusian agricultural technologies into the national production sector, with a particular focus on family farming.
According to Roberto Albino, Minister of Agriculture - speaking to reporters following official talks held with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Maxim Ryzhenkov, as part of a three-day working visit to Mozambique - mechanization is a key pillar of agricultural cooperation between the two countries, following the identification of Belarusian technologies deemed relevant to Mozambique.
"As I mentioned, I had the opportunity to visit Belarus last year with an agenda focused on agricultural cooperation, and mechanization was identified as a crucial pillar of this partnership. Mozambique needs an intermediate stage of mechanization, bridging the gap between the short-handled hoe and the large tractor. There is significant scope for mechanizing agriculture, especially within the family farming sector", he said.
According to the minister, Belarus has experience in agricultural cooperation with other African nations and possesses recognized expertise in the supply of equipment.
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"Belarus has been achieving remarkable results with other African countries. You can see what has happened in Zimbabwe; it is a major supplier of agricultural mechanization equipment to Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and other African nations", he said.
Albino also explained that the financial component was the missing link needed to turn identified opportunities into concrete projects, and the visit by the Belarusian delegation has enabled progress in this regard.
"What was missing was the financial instrument to bring this cooperation to fruition. So, this visit provided the financial solution. From now on, technical teams from Mozambique and Belarus will work together to present the proposal to the Development Bank of Belarus", the minister said.
"Implementing the partnership will involve technical discussions on the financial package, the signing of financing agreements, and the subsequent execution of projects. We haven't set specific deadlines, but both parties have committed to doing everything possible to expedite this process so that we can implement the project as soon as possible", he added.
In addition to agricultural mechanization, Mozambique aims to boost bilateral trade by exporting value-added national products to Belarus, specifically nuts and fruits.
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"We have a package under discussion covering agricultural mechanization as well as the export of value-added Mozambican products to Belarus. They want to import items from Mozambique that they cannot produce themselves, particularly nuts and other fruits", he said.
For his part, Ryzhenko highlighted the potential for bilateral cooperation and the possibility of businesspeople from both countries developing joint initiatives. "Businesspeople from both countries will be in a position to develop mutually beneficial projects that will become part of the bilateral agenda". he said.
"We decided to conclude, as soon as possible, an agreement on visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic and service passports. This will significantly facilitate exchanges between delegations from the two countries", he added.
