Mozambican Prime Minister Aires Ali on Wednesday swore into office the Director-General of the newly established Zambezi Valley Development Agency, Roberto Albino, who was formerly head of the government’s Centre for Agricultural Promotion (CEPAGRI).The Zambezi Valley, covering 225,000 kilometres, encompasses all 12 districts in the central province of Tete, nine districts in Zambezia province, seven in Sofala and four in Manica. About five million inhabitants, which is about 23 per cent of the country’s total population, live in the valley.The Valley holds the largest reserve of water in the country, stressed the Prime Minister at the swearing-in ceremony. As a result “it has a huge capacity to generate energy and has excellent conditions for agriculture. In particular it has a high potential for grains such as rice, maize and wheat, and cash crops such as tobacco, cotton and sugar cane”.It is estimated that the Valley has the potential to grow rice over an area of 600,000 hectares in a region with strong traditions for this type of cultivation.
Ali said it will be up to the Development Agency to present strategies for the economic and social development of the Zambezi River basin and to provide technical and financial assistance to development initiatives in the region.“The Director-General of the agency whom we swore into office today has the task of collaborating with the provincial and local governments, to ensure that the enormous potential we have can be exploited in a sustainable and balanced way” said Ali.The agency, according to the Prime Minster, should pay urgent attention to giving all the necessary technical assistance for the government to intervene with the greatest efficiency and effectiveness in agricultural production and in exploiting the Valley’s full potential, promoting development throughout its territory.“In this context, the agency will inherit from the former Zambezi Planning Office (GPZ) all its agricultural and transport equipment, which should begin immediately to be used for agricultural production and marketing” said the Prime Minister.Ali also pointed out the need to accelerate the construction of three agro-industrial units to process cotton, maize and rice, in the districts of Guro (Manica province), Angonia (Tete) and Namacurra (Zambezia) respectively.Last November the Governor of Manica, Ana Comoane, laid the first stone of the cotton processing factory in Guro. The factory was due to open in March, and will process cotton from Manica, Tete and Zambezia.The factory is owned by the Mozambican company SOGIL, and is part of a 50 million US dollar investment programme which will also see the construction of the maize processing facility and rice processing factory.The three facilities are being funded by the Chinese Government in line with the partnership of friendship and solidarity which has been built between China and Mozambique.“The expectations are enormous. There is a need to increase the pace of implementing projects that can, in the short and medium term, respond to the wishes of the people, covering food production, income generation and the creation of work for youth”, explained Ali.
Ali said it will be up to the Development Agency to present strategies for the economic and social development of the Zambezi River basin and to provide technical and financial assistance to development initiatives in the region.“The Director-General of the agency whom we swore into office today has the task of collaborating with the provincial and local governments, to ensure that the enormous potential we have can be exploited in a sustainable and balanced way” said Ali.The agency, according to the Prime Minster, should pay urgent attention to giving all the necessary technical assistance for the government to intervene with the greatest efficiency and effectiveness in agricultural production and in exploiting the Valley’s full potential, promoting development throughout its territory.“In this context, the agency will inherit from the former Zambezi Planning Office (GPZ) all its agricultural and transport equipment, which should begin immediately to be used for agricultural production and marketing” said the Prime Minister.Ali also pointed out the need to accelerate the construction of three agro-industrial units to process cotton, maize and rice, in the districts of Guro (Manica province), Angonia (Tete) and Namacurra (Zambezia) respectively.Last November the Governor of Manica, Ana Comoane, laid the first stone of the cotton processing factory in Guro. The factory was due to open in March, and will process cotton from Manica, Tete and Zambezia.The factory is owned by the Mozambican company SOGIL, and is part of a 50 million US dollar investment programme which will also see the construction of the maize processing facility and rice processing factory.The three facilities are being funded by the Chinese Government in line with the partnership of friendship and solidarity which has been built between China and Mozambique.“The expectations are enormous. There is a need to increase the pace of implementing projects that can, in the short and medium term, respond to the wishes of the people, covering food production, income generation and the creation of work for youth”, explained Ali.
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