Mozambique needs 26,000 tonnes of certified maize, bean and rice seeds to respond to the situation caused by the floods and the needs of the second crop season, national authorities announced on Tuesday.
According to a note from the Mozambican Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP), during the floods and extreme rainfall in the country in recent weeks, the regions of Xai-Xai, with 290 hectares, and Chókwè, with 270 hectares, both in the province of Gaza, in the south of the country, were mainly affected.
According to the MAAP, in order to cope with the situation caused by the floods and the needs of the second crop season, the sector needs 15,000 tonnes of certified maize seeds, 8,000 tonnes of rice and 3,000 tonnes of beans.
Regarding Monday’s meeting with seed producers to coordinate actions to ensure the timely availability of certified seeds, as part of the post-flood recovery and the second crop season of the 2025/2026 agricultural year, MAAP explains that around 710 hectares of seed production fields for the three products were presented.
The President of the Seed Producers Association, Marcelino Botão, quoted in the document, states that the available stock is currently 2,300 tonnes of certified maize seed, 45 tonnes of certified rice seed, 650 tonnes of nhemba beans, 270 tonnes of common beans and four tonnes of vegetable seeds.
Marcelino Botão pointed out that most companies are still in the planning stage and do not have complete stocks, with the data referring mainly to the provinces of Gaza, Manica, Sofala and Nampula.
Almost 105,000 people are in shelters in Mozambique due to the floods that have already affected nearly 700,000 citizens in 20 days, according to the National Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction (INGD).
According to the INGD database, to which Lusa had access and with data up to 4 p.m. on Monday, the floods in various parts of the country have already affected 691,527 people (an additional 40,000 in 24 hours), equivalent to 151,963 families, with 12 deaths, 3,447 houses partially destroyed, 771 completely destroyed and 154,797 flooded.
INGD data also reports 45 injured and four missing as a result of these floods since 7 January, at a time when entire families are still awaiting rescue, especially in southern Mozambique.
Since the beginning of the rainy season in October, including the last few weeks of flooding, 124 people have died in Mozambique, in addition to 148 injured and 812,194 people affected, according to INGD data.
According to the latest data, there are currently 105 accommodation centres in operation – six more than on Sunday – with 103,535 people (4,000 more), including 19,556 who had to be rescued. This update also reports that, since 7 January, 229 health facilities and 366 schools, four bridges and 1,336 kilometres of road have been affected.
The INGD record also points to 287,013 hectares of agricultural area affected, affecting the activity of 215,949 farmers, in addition to the death of 325,578 head of livestock, including cattle, goats and poultry.
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