Maputo, 15 April 2022 (TDI): The Brazilian Cooperation Agency, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, is carrying out agricultural cooperation in Mozambique.
A team from the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), the Federal University of Lavras, and the Federal Institute of the South of Minas Gerais, is present in the North and Center regions of Mozambique.
The team is providing technical and humanitarian assistance by planting community gardens to support families affected by cyclones in 2019 and this year. They will donate vegetable seeds and install community gardens.
Likewise, the team is examining soil and climate in four locations to determine the ideal location for the vegetable gardens. These cities are Metuge, in Cabo Delgado Province; Beira, in Sofala Province; Chimoio, in Manica Province; and Quelimane, in Zambézia Province.
In February 2022, Cyclone Gombe hit parts of Mozambique.
The disaster affected 30,000 lives and 3,000 homes. It left 40 injured and about 15 dead. Furthermore, Covid19 exasperated economic issues in the country.
Meanwhile, the team will donate seeds and install vegetable gardens according to the agricultural calendar of each region. Moreover, local producers will partake in intense technical training in Brazil.
Paula Rougemont, the Cooperation Analyst for the Brazil-Mozambique bilateral technical cooperation program, said, “[the initiative is] innovative since humanitarian action is complemented by technical cooperation activity. It was found that the donation of seeds alone would not be enough to guarantee that the families affected by the cyclones would produce vegetables for consumption and even for eventual income generation. Therefore, we opted for a mixed-initiative with a view to sustainable continuity”.
Notably, Mozambique is the largest recipient of Brazilian aid from its national aid agency.
Brazil-Mozambique Relations
The two countries share the Portuguese colonial legacy. Both gained independence from the Portuguese empire. Meanwhile, the two countries are part of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.
Brazil recognized and established diplomatic relations with Mozambique in November 1975.
Moreover, Brazil and Mozambique have established bilateral agreements on cooperation in health, education, social policies, and public security.
In addition, trade between Brazil and Mozambique totaled US$169 million in 2017.
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