What You Need to Know
Mozambique’s Agriculture Minister Roberto Albino has called for increased investment in certified seed production, highlighting the country’s fertile opportunities for businesses. At a recent conference, he noted the challenges faced by farmers due to flooding and emphasized the need for public-private partnerships to enhance agricultural productivity and support local farmers.
Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambican Agriculture Minister Roberto Albino believes that the country possesses fertile opportunities for companies interested in investing in the production and marketing of certified seeds.
According to the minister, who was speaking at a Conference on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), which was organized by “Business & Legal Magazine”, the farmers affected by this year’s floods are exposed to limitations in domestic production and “this creates clear opportunities for the private sector to invest in a segment with high demand.”
“We need to acquire around 170,000 kits of agricultural inputs for farmers affected by the floods and in emergency situations. Only 20 per cent of these kits were secured with inputs produced domestically, which demonstrates that there is ample market space for companies interested in investing in the production and marketing of certified seeds”, he said.
The minister also called for the reactivation of “currently underutilized public assets”.
“Interested investors have the doors 100 per cent open to dialogue with the Government”, he claimed.
“The government has mechanisms that allow for swift support of investment in this sector. Less than 30 per cent of public assets are operational. But they are functioning below 20 per cent of their capacity, which causes a significant waste of resources”, he said.
According to Albino, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can take advantage of many opportunities in agriculture. “With less than 500,000 dollars, it is possible to start and develop a business, especially in a context where the government is reviewing the PPP regime, with a view to making it more inclusive, transparent and competitive”, the minister said.
For his part, Alvaro Massingue, chairperson of the country’s Confederation of Business Associations (CTA), claimed that the macroeconomic risk associated with the shortage of foreign currency (particularly US dollars), the pressure on domestic debt and the volatility of the business environment represent a great challenge for PPP potential.
“Limitations persist in the technical capacity for preparing, structuring, and negotiating projects, which often compromises their funding”, he said. “Additionally, the slowness of procedures, the low conversion rate of projects into actual implementation, and the need to strengthen transparency and predictability continue to be significant obstacles”.
He explained that in many cases, it is not a lack of interest that limits investment, but “the lack of well-prepared and structured projects.” He called for a new generation of “more strategic, more transparent and more results-oriented projects.”
Mozambique has faced significant agricultural challenges, particularly due to climate-related events such as floods, which have impacted crop production and food security. The government is actively seeking to engage the private sector in addressing these issues, particularly through public-private partnerships that can enhance investment in agriculture and improve the livelihoods of affected farmers. The emphasis on certified seed production reflects a broader strategy to bolster domestic agricultural capacity and reduce reliance on imports.
