“Cross-sectoral relations are critical to agricultural commodity markets development in Mozambique”
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held from 02 -04 November a technical meeting about "Mozambique Positioning on International Trade", aiming at discussing strategies to implement agricultural trade policies in the country.
The event held in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MASA), the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of the Sea, Interior Water and Fishing, the Ministry of Industry and Trade was attended by several governmental entities and other partners related to agricultural trade.
During the workshop, MASA´s Vice- Minister, Luísa Meque said that "agricultural activity in Mozambique accounts for about 25% of GDP and that trade policies have the potential to influence the development of agricultural value chains, with emphasis on commodities such as maize, rice, meat and so on affecting agricultural food systems - global, regional and national".
The Vice Minister also said that "trade activities in Mozambique are aligned with the National Economic Development Agenda, the global goals stipulated in the Malabo Declaration and recently the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which Mozambique adhered".
According to the Representative of FAO, "cross-sectoral relations are crucial for designing and implementing effective policies to make trade viable in support of agriculture sector strategies, food security and investment plans".
Castro Camarada mentioned during the event that "Mozambique is one of the countries that has made significant changes in relation to food security under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) but, the challenges remain and efforts have to be made on a continuing basis, now within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Overall, the African continent exports ¼ of all domestic agricultural food production. The commercialization of strategic food products in Africa such as cereals, oilseeds, meats, milks and derivatives, sugar and drinks, within the continent, has been on average between 30% and 60% of the total agricultural products exported in the last decade, representing a potential for considerable expansion.
This technical meeting follows an earlier one held last August by FAO and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to identify priorities in terms building technical capacities in the agricultural commodity markets sector at national and regional levels.