Chibabava, 2 August (AIM) – According to President Armando Guebuza the Mozambican government is currently fast tracking the training of agrarian technicians who will assist peasant farmers to double their production and income. "'We have agreements for training agrarian technicians and we have young people studying on how to improve seeds and soil enrichment techniques to increase production", said President Guebuza on Monday at a rally in the Administrative Post of Goonda, Chibabava district, which marked the end of a 4-day visit to the central province of Sofala.

This statement was in response to claims of famine in the region made by the local residents, the causes of which are primarily lack of water and erratic rainfall. There is a river in the region, but local residents are unable to exploit its full potential due to the lack of water storage.

According to President Guebuza, these and other problems have led the Government to embrace the “Green Revolution”, which aims to increase agriculture yields. He added that the Government is relying on extensionists to teach farmers to improve production.

Currently, the entire province of Sofala is assisted by 52 extensionists who are only able to assist 57,000 of the existing 390,000 peasant families in the province.

President Guebuza repeated the message that Mozambicans should stop relying on rainwater, as a means to enable production all year long. “Reliance on rainwater will cease to exist once we learn to manage water resources”, said the President.

According President Guebuza, there are already farmers using their skills to manufacture water pumps for crop irrigation, and this is a clear indication that these problems could be overcome.

Under the Green Revolution, Sofala is implementing the Action Plan for Food Production (PAPA), which is already being established in the districts of Caia, Maringue, Gorongosa, Chibabava, Buzi, Nhamatanda, Dondo and Beira, which have huge agro-ecological potential for crops such as maize, rice, sunflower, soybean and potatoes.

PAPA envisages increasing the use of organic fertilizers, mechanization, improved seeds, and rehabilitation of four irrigation schemes and the establishment of ten small irrigation systems in an area covering 157 hectares.

During a press conference that marked the end of his visit to Sofala, President Guebuza said that it was a mistake to judge the benefits of District Development Fund (FDD), seven million meticais, based on the level of disbursements and repayments.

This fund is still commonly known as "the seven million", since the initiative began in 2006 as an allocation of seven million meticais (about $197,000 at current exchange rates) to each of the country's 128 districts. The money was lent to people who presented viable projects to create jobs and boost food production.

'We would be unable to make the right judgement of the seven million based on disbursements and repayments, because today we can see peasants farmers who own motorbikes thanks to the businesses they managed to establish, such as small maize mills", stressed the President.