At the beginning of the agricultural season 2015/2016, FAO launched in Mozambique an electronic voucher scheme aimed at enabling market access to agricultural inputs (mainly seeds and fertilizers) and improving the distribution of quality agricultural inputs through the involvement of various agro-dealers. The programme targets two groups of beneficiaries: small emerging farmers and subsistence farmers, with special attention given to rural women and women heads of families.

The voucher serves as a financial credit for the purchase of inputs, e.g. seeds and fertilizers, from quality-monitored agro-dealers and is co-financed by the beneficiary. Facilitation of farmers’ access to improved agricultural inputs can increase production, know-how, food security, revenue, as well as the development of marketing and distribution sectors.

The financial inclusion tool was successfully tested in the Province of Manica during the agricultural campaign of 2015/2016 and will be extended to the Provinces of Sofala, Zambezia and Nampula in the agricultural campaign of 2016/2017. It will gradually replace the paper voucher scheme run since 2013. Read on here.