MAPUTO, Mozambique, January 31, 2024/ — On Monday in Nampula, the U.S. Government, represented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) signed an agreement to promote market-based farming in the Nacala Corridor. Local farmers are the backbone of the region’s workforce, so the agreement promises new opportunities to boost incomes for farmers and small business owners.
The agreement merges USAID’s $25.5 million Feed the Future (FtF) Premier project with SDC’s $6.7 million Oholo project to create the FtF Premier-Oholo (PRO) Partnership. Operational until June 2027, the partnership provides small business owners with the skills and resources to sell fertilizers and seeds, invests in improved marketing, and helps farmers and business owners make the transition from subsistence agriculture to a market-based system. The activity supports the private sector’s role in boosting farmers’ incomes by creating markets, providing necessary infrastructure, and encouraging local farmers to adopt modern agricultural practices.
USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Colman, currently visiting Mozambique, was the guest of honor at the signing ceremony. She said, “By boosting market-based agriculture, this partnership will increase incomes and jobs, particularly for youth and women in conflict-affected northern Mozambique.”
Enhancing the competitiveness of the agricultural sector is a critical component of the broader U.S. Government assistance in Mozambique. In close collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Mozambique, the U.S. Government provides more than $812 million in annual assistance to help Mozambique build a healthier, more secure, more democratic, and more prosperous country for all citizens.
