E-voucher launch in Nampula and Zambezia provinces
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched this week the electronic voucher system, under the sub program "Accelerating Progress to achieve the Millennium Development Goals" MDG1c.
The launches took place in Ribáuè district, in Nampula Province and Alto Molócue district, in Zambezia province.
The voucher component aims to improve access for subsistence and emerging farmers to improved agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers, chemicals), providing a temporary subsidy to facilitate the purchase of inputs where the producers only pay part of the package to the agro-dealers and retailers and the system provides an additional value.
In Nampula, the event was attended by the provincial governor, Victor Borges, the administrator of Ribáuè district, Emanuel Impissa, the National Director of Agriculture and Agroforestry, Mohamed Valá, various government agencies, representatives of the United Nations, the European Union and other stakeholders involved in the agricultural sector.
During the event in Nampula, the Governor of the Province, Victor Borges said that "the inputs provided by the voucher system will provide support to producers and pointed out that it is expected that the agricultural season about to start can reach 8 million tons in that province".
The Representative of the European Union, José Monfort, said that "this programme is part of the initiative of the European Union to achieve the Millennium Development Goals 1c to strengthen the three goals of food security: food availability through increased production and agricultural productivity; access to food by improving access to markets and improve the nutritional status of vulnerable groups, especially women and children".
In Zambezia Province, the launch was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ilídio Miguel, the Administrator of Alto Molócue district, Alves Mathe and other partners involved in the agricultural sector.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ilídio Miguel, during the launch in Zambezia, said that "this is a form of government to support farmers to produce more through the acquisition of seeds (maize, cowpea, common beans, soybeans and peanuts), fertilizers and other inputs available in electronic voucher ".
The FAO Representative in Mozambique, Castro Camarada highlighted that "this program is part of FAO's contribution to the fight against hunger and malnutrition in Mozambique" and it is expected to benefit approximately 1,200 producers in Ribaué district in Nampula and over 800 producers in Nivava locality in Zambezia province.
The electronic voucher system includes two packages for subsistence and emerging farmers.
Package A - for subsistence producers: is made depending on a deposit 500 mtn by the producer and the system provides additional 1,500 mtn for the purchase of inputs.
Package B - for emerging producers is made depending on the deposit of 3,000 mtn and the system provides additional 4,000 mtn in the electronic card for the purchase of inputs.
The voucher system, funded by the European Union and the government of Mozambique has been tested in Manica province during the 2015/2016 agricultural campaign which benefited more than 12,500 producers.