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Agriculture is the main income-generating activity in Mozambique. Some 3.8 million smallholder farmers account for 95 percent of the country’s agricultural production. Much of this production is for subsistence purposes and yields are low, mainly due to a lack of appropriate inputs (quality seeds and fertilizers), suitable production techniques, post-harvest handling and storage technologies. Post-harvest losses in the country are extremely high (on average 30 percent of production) due to a lack of adequate storage facilities. As a result, smallholder farmers have little room to maneuver and are forced to sell their produce shortly after the harvest at rock-bottom prices. FAO is supporting smallholder farmers in developing improved post-harvest technologies in partnership with the European Union under the Millennium Development Goal 1c (MDG1c) programme. Since the project began, more than 260 artisans in 15 regions of Mozambique have been trained to build and promote improved household silos – locally known as “Gorongosa silos”.
80% of Mozambique’s smallholder farmers grow maize and cassava, which account for more than a third of cultivated land. Despite maize’s huge potential, smallholder farmers generally face low incomes and high levels of food and nutrition insecurity. One reason is the seasonal nature of food and nutrition insecurity among rural households. During the lean season, from October to February, the poorest households’ food reserves are depleted and food prices soar. Traditional silos do not provide adequate protection from pests and bad weather, leading to heavy post-harvest losses.
While there are other alternative silos, such as metal ones, the Gorongosa Silos have the advantage of being more affordable and using locally developed technology. Made from local materials such as mud and clay, as well as traditional materials such as cement and iron rods, the silos can last up to 20 years if properly maintained. They are fireproof and protect against insects and diseases. Once in the silos, losses of grain are minimal, explains FAO Post-Harvest Specialist Jorge Machanguana. “The silos preserve the quality of the grain for a long time – up to 10 months,” he explains. “This also reduces the need for chemical treatments.” Significantly, the longer the grain can be stored, the more flexibility farmers have when it comes to choosing the best time to sell it. “This ensures that farmers get a good price for their produce.”
Cristina Viagen is a 39-year-old farmer in Nore, Nampula province. “These new silos have made a real difference in our lives,” she says. “I can now sell the food I produce to different markets and get the right price,” she continues.
Farmer Armando Daniel Sabonet, who also lives in Nore, tells the same story. Sabonet dreams of “building a house with cement and bricks and expanding my fields,” and has adopted improved post-harvest handling techniques and increased his income through better crops and storage facilities. While he waits to realize his long-cherished dream, he is using the proceeds to pay for his children’s school fees.
FAO-trained artisans are constructing and promoting improved household silos in the provinces of Manica, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia and Nampula in the central and northern regions of the country. The five-year project, launched in 2013, aims to build more than 10,000 Gorongosa silos and train at least 20,000 farmers in sub-project areas in post-harvest handling management.
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