Maputo, May 21, 2026 (Lusa) - Mozambique has over 6.5 million hectares of cultivated land, 17.8% of the 36 million hectares of arable land available in the country, the government announced on Thursday, noting that over 84% of farms are less than two hectares in size.
The planning and development minister, Salim Valá, made the announcement at the opening of the National Seminar for the Dissemination of the Results of the 3rd Census of Agriculture (CAP 2023/2024), held on Thursday in Maputo.
“The total cultivated area exceeds 6.5 million hectares, corresponding to approximately 17.8% of the 36 million hectares of arable land available,” he said.
Mozambique has around 5.2 million agricultural holdings, 38% of which are headed by women, a reality which reinforces the importance of women in national food production, he said.
He also explained that almost all farms are small and medium-sized, confirming the importance of family farming to the rural economy, while large farms account for around 70,000 hectares.
He said that over 84% of farms are less than two hectares in size, a situation that highlights challenges related to productivity, mechanisation, irrigation, technical assistance and integration into value chains.
“These figures reveal the challenges and the enormous transformative potential of the agricultural sector,” he added.
He said the fact that only 17.8% of available arable land is under cultivation demonstrates that Mozambique continues to possess one of the largest strategic reserves of agricultural potential in Africa.
"This means that the future of national economic transformation will remain deeply linked to our ability to transform subsistence agriculture into commercial, integrated, resilient agriculture geared towards agro-industrialisation," he added.
Data from the CAP 2023/2024 also indicate that the national livestock population comprises approximately 2.4 million cattle, 4.2 million goats and around 16 million native-breed chickens, which are considered important resources for household food security.
This census is one of the largest national statistical operations carried out by the National Statistics Institute (INE), in accordance with the guidelines of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, to produce detailed information on the structure of national agricultural and livestock production.
The agricultural census took place between December 2024 and June 2025, covering virtually the entire territory, including provincial capitals and the city of Maputo, except for six districts in the province of Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique, due to security reasons.
The operation used tablets equipped with CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing) technology and GPS systems to measure plots of land and georeferenced farms, thereby reducing operational costs, minimising errors and improving statistical accuracy.
He concluded that the CAP’s findings should be used to support public policy formulation, research, programme monitoring, investment, and evidence-based decision-making, ultimately contributing to enhanced food security and agricultural transformation.
EYMZ/MYAL // ADB.
Lusa
