The Mozambican Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has announced that the floods that have engulfed much of southern and central Mozambique have swamped over 10,000 hectares of crops in Maputo province. According to the provincial director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Paulo Cossa, speaking to reporters on Monday, the situation is one of alert because the torrential rains have increased the flows of the Umbeluzi and Incomáti rivers. “We have many farmers and families affected, especially in low-lying areas, as a result of flooding caused by the opening of floodgates in neighbouring countries and, consequently, the dams on the Umbeluzi and the Incomáti”, said Cossa.
He added that the losses recorded represent about 15 per cent of the area planned for the current agricultural season, with the greatest damage occurring in low-lying areas along the banks of the rivers. “Much of the first agricultural season in our province is carried out using rain-fed farming methods and in high altitude areas. In these areas, we do not have an alarming situation at this time”, he said.
According to Cossa, in the livestock subsector, the floods also caused significant losses, notably the death of around 1,000 cattle, which were swept away by the huge amounts of water, in addition to the flooding of grazing areas, which compromises the animals’ feed. The fisheries subsector, he said, has also suffered considerable damage as “81 boats, around 500 items of fishing gear, as well as some fish tanks were lost”. “Despite difficulties in accessing some affected areas due to impassable roads, technicians and extension workers in the sector remain on the ground to provide assistance to communities.
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Our technicians are in the districts, helping to remove agricultural equipment, motor pumps and animals from low-lying areas, despite mobility limitations”, he explained. Cossa also revealed that the authorities are already mobilizing resources to resume the agricultural campaign, taking advantage of the fact that rainfall is helping to fill reservoirs and the water table. “We are already coordinating with our partners to mobilize agricultural inputs so that we can return with strength and, hopefully, in a positive way to the agricultural campaign”, he said. According to the government data, almost 600,000 people have been affected by the flooding.
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