Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambique’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Celso Correia, held a meeting on Wednesday in Rome, Italy, with the director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu, to discuss aspects of the development of agriculture, food security and challenges related to climate shocks in Mozambique.
Celso Correia’s visit to Rome continues with meetings at the International Agricultural Development Fund (IFAD), the World Food Program (WFP) and Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture.
After the meeting with Qu Dongyu yesterday, Minister Correia expressed his satisfaction with the work carried out, as it also served to share technical aspects about the flood situation with his host.
FAO director general Qu Dongyu, in turn, sought clarity on the flood situation, and said that there was a need to seek solutions at a global level for the current water imbalance, since while some areas are suffering from shortages, others are experiencing floods.
“Infrastructure is needed, such as dams, which can serve to mitigate these problems,” he said.
Minister Correia highlighted the great effort that Mozambique is making to become a sustainable country in terms of agriculture, focusing on technology transfer, with the support of partners.
According to the minister, there are good prospects further intensifying and improving coordination.
The issue of seeds was also addressed. According to the minister, the response must be immediate, with free access to seeds for the population, especially at this time.
“The availability of seeds for the second season for vegetables will allow families to have seeds as soon as the waters subside.
We are already mapping the most affected areas, but we have to wait until the end of the cycle and intervene according to our capabilities, mobilising all partners for this purpose,” he said.
Still reacting to the recent flooding in the country, the minister lamented the loss of human life, and highlighted the need for continuous improvement of the country’s agricultural response capacity.
“We are doing everything to ensure that we can supply seeds in good time, because the response cycle is very short. We have 30 days to sow short-cycle maize and vegetable seeds to mitigate the impact of the floods,” Correia stressed.
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