Mozambique farmers reinvent themselves after a cyclone and a pandemic
After losing his crops to a cyclone, João Guerra now has to adapt his livelihood to survive a pandemic too.
©FAO/Telcínia Nhantumbo
In March 2019, João Guerra’s farm in central Mozambique was hit by Cyclone Idai. The intense storm devastated over 700 000 hectares of crops in the country and caused rivers to overflow, dams to burst and floods to sweep away entire farms and communities. With over 80 percent of the population of Mozambique depending on agriculture for their livelihoods, the damage done to food and grain stores, fisheries infrastructure and livestock assets had a catastrophic effect on the food security of many.
Over the past year, João and many other farmers have worked hard to repair the flood damage to their farms and gradually recover their livelihoods. However, just as they were getting back on their feet, a new challenge arose: the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overcoming the disaster
João, who lives and farms in Sofala Province in central Mozambique, has been part of FAO-supported Farmer Field Schools since 2014 and now leads a group attended by 31 people, the majority of whom are women. In the wake of the cyclone, FAO provided his Field School group with several agricultural kits including vegetable and cereal seeds and tools, such as hoes and machetes. According to João, these materials and the knowledge previously acquired in the Field School trainings were essential for him and the group to recover from Cyclone Idai’s damages.
“After Idai, FAO did not forget us. We received seeds and restarted farming activities,” states João.
With this help, João managed to produce enough for his family and sell part of the harvest. Using the money from these sales, he bought and planted cabbage seeds, taking advantage of the high demand for the vegetable in local markets.