Mozambique: French seeds boost production

  1. Posted on Monday 30 June 2008 - 08:50
    Sam Banda Junior
    Image of Sam Banda Junior
    Sam Banda Junior, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi
    In an effort to boost potato production, Mozambique has imported about 200 tonnes of seed potatoes from France. Maputo Provincial Director of Agriculture Setina Titosse said the seeds had already been planted and that they were expected to be harvested next month.
    potato_field_farm
    An allAfrica.com report Friday said the importation of the seeds potato forms part of a strategy to reduce the country’s dependence on South Africa, by increasing potato production in the southern provinces.

    Apart from Tanzania which uses more potatoes for food unlike Maize, Mozambique also takes potatoes as its staple food.

    Potato is produced in Boane and Moamba districts of Mozambique essentially to supply consumers in Maputo and Matola cities.

    However due to high demand the country has been importing more of the potatoes from South Africa.

    According to the report, Mozambique this year expects that 140 tonnes of potatoes will be harvested in Inhassoro district in the northern part of Inhambane.

    The report further said the Southern African country’s Agriculture Ministry is expecting an overall increase in agricultural production of 7.5 per cent this year, due to largely favourable climatic conditions.

    The nation’s sugar is also expected to remain Mozambique's most important cash crop adding that latest projections for this year's sugar harvest, according to the government's Agricultural Promotion Centre, are 294,000 tonnes, up from 243,600 tonnes last year.

    Mozambique which was ravaged by war is striving to improve its economy and is set to invest more money in improving several sectors.

Latest News

  1. OPINION: Welcome to African Green Revolution24/05For the past century and a half, Africa has tried various agricultural approaches without much success.
  2. Egyptians vote in historic election23/05Egyptians began voting freely on Wednesday for the first time to pick their president in a wide open election that pits Islamists against men who serv…
  3. Africa Day 2012 - a moment for reflection and…22/0525th May is Africa Day. For many years it has been a celebration of African unity. It dates back to 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) …
  4. South Africa's African agenda21/05The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Mothlanthe paid a rare visit to Ghana in April at the invitation of John Dramani Mahama …
  5. Women struggle to rinse hunger, poverty stains21/05Just looking at her one clearly appreciates that she is old and frail therefore in need of support for food, clothing and shelter to live comfortably …
  6. Climate Climate change affects migratory birds…21/05Changes in the climate globally have affected the movement of both migratory and resident species of birds, Nature Uganda has said.
  7. Ghana: Foreign retailers cited for currency…18/05The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is attributing the sharp depreciation of the Ghana cedi against major currencies to the illegal activiti…
  8. Kenya: Community radio brings succour to…18/05Korogocho, a slum in northeastern Nairobi with 100,000 inhabitants, had many of the ingredients for a political explosion similar to those that rocked…
  9. Veld fires 'flame' Zimbabwe's…16/05Over the years, Zimbabwe has experienced the scourge of veld fires destroying property worth thousands of dollars.
  10. Liberia commends ECOWAS for support14/05The induction training of pioneer Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Volunteers for Liberia kicked off in Monrovia, with the Deputy Mi…
  11. Vanishing Lake Chad puts 30m lives at risk14/05As you approach the Lake Chad basin from Maiduguri, in north-eastern Nigeria, the evidence of despair is telling.
  12. Heavy rains cause havoc in Kenya14/05Heavy Rainfall continued to wreak havoc across the country leading to the suspension of relief food in some parts of the country as most roads in Turk…
  13. Zimbabwe: Growth points lie dormant14/05The Zimbabwean government mooted the concept of growth points in the 1980s as a means of decongesting cities and towns.
  14. Sierra Leone improves in infant mortality11/05Sierra Leone has improved in infant mortality cases according to Save the Children- World Motherhood index 2012 report. The West Africa country descri…
  15. Zimbabwe: Resettled farmers fail to utilize…10/05Resettled farmers in Zimbabwe are failing to utilize land due to inadequate farming inputs and lack of resources.
News archive