Overview

Agriculture is the backbone of Mozambique’s economy with more than 80% of the population employed in this sector, 90% of those being women. However, the sector’s performance is characterized by low levels of production and productivity due to numerous challenges. These include the adverse impacts of climate change and climate variability (droughts, floods, emergent crop and livestock pests/diseases); lack of availability and access to quality inputs and technologies; soil degradation and low fertility; poor capacity for disease surveillance and control; inadequate veterinary services; insufficient extension services and poor linkages between extension and research. As a result, the Mozambican Ministry of Agriculture and Food security (MASA), in partnership with FAO, would like to build its capacity to improve service delivery to farmers to counter the climatic and pest/disease challenges facing them.

Program Description

MSFPPA increases production and productivity of smallholder farmers by building MASA’s capacity to provide appropriate support services. The activities funded by USAID focus on improving the capacity of MASA to monitor and control pests and diseases in crops and livestock, developing the capacity of MASA and stakeholders to implement sustainable, integrated management practices for the control of transboundary pests and diseases, promoting safe food practices and technologies to reduce risks to the lives of people and livestock and supporting research for new resistant seed varieties and complementary crops to the maize farming systems.  While multiple pests and diseases are addressed, the devastating Fall armyworm (FAW) is primarily targeted. 

Expected Results

• 300,000 smallholder households receive technical training at Farmers’ Field Schools, FAW awareness materials, and improved MASA extension services;  
• Development of a national FAW surveillance system and mitigation plan; 
• Development of both a national foodborne disease surveillance and reporting system and a contaminant-monitoring protocol; 
• Development of cassava varieties that are tolerant to Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) and Cassava Mosaic Disease.