Grain |
Answering questions
from deputies on agricultural marketing, he said that the other key
attributes of the ICM were to maintain reserves for food security
purposes, and to operate as a buyer of last resort.
Tonela said the ICM
has signed 51 memorandums of understanding with other stakeholders in
the agricultural marketing chain in order to ensure a market for
agricultural surpluses, and to prioritise national production in
supplying food processing industries. The agreements signed this year
envisage the marketing of almost 593,000 tonnes of crops, particularly
maize, beans and soya.
Nonetheless, the
detailed figures given by Tonela indicate that a great deal of this
year's harvests must still be in the hands of farmers. The target for
marketing all food crops (grains, vegetables, root crops, pulses and
oilseeds) in 2017 is 16.75 million tonnes, but marketing in the first
nine months of the year fell just short of nine million tonnes.
2.37 million tonnes
of grain (mostly maize) was marketed. Although this was a 10 per cent
increase on the figure for 2016, it was only 69 per cent of the target
of 3.42 million tonnes. Tonela believed this is because many producers
are holding back much of their maize, waiting for prices to rise.
It was a similar
picture with root crops. Just over 2.9 million tonnes was marketed in
the first nine months of the year - a seven per cent increase on 2016,
but only 29 per cent of the target figure.
But 813,000 tonnes
of beans were marketed, which was 95 per cent of the target of 854,000
tonnes. Since there are still three months to go before the end of the
year, the target will almost certainly be surpassed.
Tonela noted
particular problems with the marketing of pigeon peas, because of
reduced demand from the main export market, which is India. The Indian
government slapped restrictions on the import of pigeon peas, in order
to protect Indian producers.
However, before the
introduction of the restrictions, the Mozambican and Indian governments
had signed a memorandum of understanding, giving Mozambique a large
quota of pigeon pea exports to India. Tonela said the government sent a
delegation to India to discuss the quota and this allowed the resumption
of purchases of pigeon peas from Mozambican farmers at a higher
producer price.
The government had
found that companies not registered in Mozambique were taking advantage
of the Mozambican pigeon pea quota. To deal with this, all Mozambican
pigeon pea exports must now carry a certificate of origin issued by the
ICM, and the Mozambican quota is being managed centrally in coordination
with the Indian government.
The marketing of
vegetables was an unqualified success. In the first nine months of 2017,
producers sold slightly more than two million tonnes of vegetables,
which was 43 per cent more than the target.
Tonela said a major
contribution had been made by large supermarkets, hotels and
restaurants in buying up surplus vegetables, and this guaranteed market
had encouraged small producers in the green belts around Mozambican
cities to step up their production.
Tonela announced
that before the end of the year the government will issue regulations on
the sale, import and export of agricultural products that will remove
barriers which still exist in marketing, and induce increases in
agricultural production and productivity.
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