Kit of seeds distributed to the farmers

About 30,500 households benefit from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO´s) "Emergency Assistance Programme for Containment of the Effects of Drought", implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Mozambique (MASA).

This Emergency Assistance programme aims at reducing food dependency of the families affected by the drought providing seeds of maize, common beans and pumpkin, including sprays and herbicides for the most affected small farmers in the provinces of Gaza, Manica, Sofala and Tete.

According to the FAO´s Emergency Programme Coordinator, Inácio Pereira, the distribution process in the provinces is proceeding at a satisfactory pace, having already benefited 75% to 80% of the farmers.

"The information we have so far is that the process is proceeding normally and we are expecting a good season because the growing areas are in good conditions. It is raining in the areas of distribution, which rises the hope of a good agricultural season even though floods in certain areas are also expected"he said.

The coordinator also said that "some complementary resilience activities are under way to cover some affected areas, including the introduction of small irrigation systems (drip irrigation kit), local seed multiplication for the distribution among communities, the introduction of conservation agriculture practices, as well as the improvement in the watering of cattle and in poultry raising at the community level".

Mozambique has been suffering from the negative impacts of a drought that has also affected some countries in the southern African region and, this year is being followed by rains, in some cases above normal leading to floods.

The central and southern provinces of Mozambique are the most affected and, according to data from the National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC), only 10% of the farmers had harvestings in the first period of the 2015/2016 crop year.

Thus, through with this emergency programme, FAO aims at contributing to reduce food dependency of vulnerable families, improving food security and strengthening resilience.