Mozambique: Crop losses will put the lives of more than 189,000 small farmers in jeopardy

In the Mozambican agricultural campaign 2021-2022, strong rains, flooding, storms, and drought have affected just over 244,000 hectares of various crops. Crop losses will put the lives of more than 189,000 small farmers in jeopardy, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The severe rain injured maize, beans, and groundnuts in 95 districts across the southern provinces of Maputo, Gaza, and Inhambane, the central provinces of Manica, Tete, Sofala, and Zambezia, and the northern province of Nampula. According to Hiten Jantilal, of the National Directorate of Agriculture, quoted in Thursday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Notícias”, the impact of natural phenomena has shown the need to improve farmers’ access to climate information, to help them make decisions and manage their activities. “There is a need to improve the early warning mechanism for small producers and strengthen the capacity to provide agro-climatic information,” Jantilal said, stressing ...