In order to carry out a Strategic Irrigation Plan approved by the Council of Ministers (Cabinet) on Tuesday, the Mozambican government needs to mobilise 645 million US dollars by the year 2019.The government spokesperson, Deputy Justice Minister Alberto Nkutumula, told reporters that 135 million dollars are already guaranteed, and the government hopes to mobilise the other 510 million through public and private investment over the next eight years.Implementation of the Strategic Irrigation Plan begins in 2011, and its main objectives are to increase agricultural production and productivity, guarantee food security, generate employment, and increase the incomes of rural households.Currently only 62,000 hectares of farmland is irrigated in the entire country. Nkutumula pointed out that this is a mere two per cent of the total arable land in Mozambique. “The other 98 per cent depends on rain”, he said.With a continually growing population, the country cannot afford to rely so heavily on rain-fed agriculture. Nkutumula said the current situation led to shortages, price rises and reliance for imports of crops that could be grown in Mozambique.He added that a new public institution will be set up to design a national irrigation programme and thus make the Strategic Plan operational.
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