Mozambican Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario has declared that the Mozambican government has put agriculture at the top of its priorities, and intends to reach the second of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – “Zero Hunger and Sustainable Agriculture” – by 2030.
He said that it is urgent to develop actions that will guarantee food production and access to a healthy and adequate diet.
Speaking in Maputo, at celebrations of World Food Day, held this year under the motto “Grow, Nourish and Sustain Together”, Rosario said, “When we guarantee the availability of and access to healthy food for the entire population, we shall be contributing to a sound and healthy human capital, an indispensable condition for the sustainable development of our countries”.
“In recent years, we have been making efforts to increase the resources for agriculture, and currently about ten per cent of the total State Budget is allocated to this sector”, Rosario continued. “This is helping increase the area under cultivation and is boosting agricultural extension”.
He mentioned the government’s flagship agricultural development programme, “Sustenta”, which was initially run as a pilot scheme in just two provinces but has now been expanded to the entire country.
Rosario was convinced that the expansion of Sustenta is already increasing the availability of food, and improving the income of Mozambican households. Hence “we shall also be improving food security under the “Zero Hunger” Presidential Initiative and thus reducing the rate of chronic malnutrition”.
He encouraged all stakeholders in the agricultural and fisheries value chains to continue working in an integrated and coordinated manner to increase production and productivity.
