Mozambique: Industrial and digital agriculture mark the new government strategy

This direction was reaffirmed on Thursday (5 February) in Dubai by the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Roberto Albino, on the sidelines of a session on the future of energy and industries. According to Albino, the choice of a market-oriented agriculture, led by the private sector, does not mean excluding smallholder farmers, but rather their inclusion in a more efficient and inclusive economic model. “We are saying that smallholder farmers, small-scale producers, must be integrated to increase their incomes and contribute to the overall growth of the country,” he stated.

The minister rejected the notion that industrialising agriculture poses a threat to the environment, arguing that its impact can be positive when well planned. “Currently, to increase overall production, we rely on expanding land areas, which leads to deforestation because yields per hectare are low. Industrialisation allows us to produce more in a smaller space with less environmental impact,” he explained.

As an example, he highlighted the Mapai dam project in Gaza province, noting that the infrastructure will enable high levels of agricultural production concentrated in a reduced area. “With 200,000 hectares of irrigable land, we can achieve the output that today requires about one million hectares with low productivity levels,” he emphasised, adding that the dam will also enable flood control, energy production and environmental protection in the Limpopo basin. Regarding technological innovation, Albino emphasised the commitment to modern agricultural solutions, including conservation practices, rational use of inputs and technologies that do not rely on fossil products harmful to the environment.

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“It is possible to industrialise agriculture in an environmentally friendly way. That is our approach,” he stressed. On digitalisation, the minister pointed out that Mozambique cannot be left behind in global trends related to new technologies and artificial intelligence. “The world is becoming digital and Mozambique must be digital,” he said, recalling the creation of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Transformation as a clear sign of government direction.

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