Gathering in Nampula

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 19 May officially closed its project on Emergency Assistance to contain the Fusarium wilt TR4 in Mozambique. The 2-day meeting took place in the city of Nampula.

This project aimed at technical and financial assistance at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MASA) to control the disease, after its identification in two private companies in Nampula Province (Jacaranda and Matanuska).

The meeting had the following objectives:

• Review the results achieved by the project

• Provide recommendations that will contribute to the containment of the disease in Nampula province

At the opening session the FAO Representative in Mozambique, Mr. Castro Camarada emphasized the availability of FAO to support the Government of Mozambique: - "FAO supports the Government to assist in improving production and living conditions of rural population. It was in this context that, in collaboration with the Government of Mozambique, last year, this Technical Cooperation Project was initiated as emergency support. "

In the same session the Permanent Secretary of Nampula Province thanked FAO for the support in this project - "Warm greetings are addressed to FAO for funding the project on the Containment/mitigation of the “Panama disease" in Mozambique and particularly in Nampula province. Greetings are also due to all professionals who directly or indirectly contributed for the project to reach its objectives. "

The meeting was attended by FAO experts, specialists from international organizations (COMESA, Bioversity International and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)), representatives of the government of Mozambique at both, national and provincial levels, national technicians working with banana production and research and representatives of private companies of banana production in Nampula province (Matanuska and Jacaranda).