TITLE OF THE PROJECT

Rural development in the community of Mafuiane with the irrigation system rehabilitation to save energy and water productivity and with the eco-sustainable agricultural production of family gardens.

Mafuiane, Province of Maputo, District of Namaacha, Mozambique

LOCAL PARTNER

OTHER PARTNERS OF THE PARTNER

• Namaacha District Economic Activity Service (SDAE)
• Agricultural Investigation Institute of Mozambique (IIAM) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Safety (MASA) 
• Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences of the University of the Sacred Heart of Rome
• Association of the World Branch of the San Frumenzio Parish onlus
• IDRAN Engineering and Technology S.r.l

TERRITORIAL CONTEXT

Mozambique is facing a period of rising temperatures caused by “El Nino”, which has been causing, for around two years, the almost total absence of precipitation in the South of Mozambique and a flooding phenomenon in the North of the country. This phenomenon is creating severe difficulties in a context where agriculture is the main activity and at the forefront of the economy.

SECTORAL CONTEXT

The drought was so intense in the period of October to December 2015 that it compromised the sowing and harvesting. In the period from January to March 2016, around 170 million hectares of land were lost. 

In the area of Mafuiane, there is an old and malfunctioning agricultural and irrigation system on around 200 hectares, built in the years between 1992 and 1994 by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The intake structure has been built on the River Umbeluzi, with a plant system consisting of five pumps (of which only one is still functioning thanks to the presence of the Regantes Association which manages it) which could distribute the irrigation water to the fields of the area.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

To develop an agricultural food supply chain in the District of Namaacha, integrated between the sectors of production, processing, and marketing of products in the local markets of Maputo.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE

To create a stable and eco-sustainable agricultural production system through the effective modernization of the electromechanical irrigation system with high water productivity which ensures food security for the local population in the current climate of drought.

ACTIVITIES

• Programming with local partners, the local community, public information in schools, local authorities, and the territorial community
• Rehabilitation of the planting system, modernising it with new generation electric pumps with higher energy efficiency 
• To launch a pilot model of a farm with 3 hectares of land, capable of obtaining products aimed at food security (local development pole).

CO-FUNDING BODY FOR THE PROJECT

AICS– Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Private Donations AUCI

DURATION OF THE PROJECT
24 months (2017-2018-2019)