Maputo, Jan. 22, 2026 (Lusa) - Mozambican farmers said on Thursday that almost all agricultural production has been lost in the southern provinces of Maputo and Gaza due to rains and floods, describing the situation as "extremely worrying" and warning of food insecurity.
"Almost all production has been lost, I am talking about the farmers in Gaza province (...). Maputo province is almost completely devastated and Manica is also suffering damage. The situation is extremely complicated and agricultural production figures for the southern region this year are compromised," Luís Muchanga, executive leader of the National Union of Farmers of Mozambique, told Lusa.
He pointed to greater damage in the regions of Chókwè, Chicualacuala, Mapai and Guijá, Chibuto and Manjacaze, in the southern province of Gaza, indicating that the floods will reduce farmers' food storage, causing food insecurity.
"The situation is chaotic and extremely worrying for the farming community and for food security indicators in the country in terms of food storage capacity (...) it is true that there was a prior announcement about this situation, but the magnitude of what we are seeing today was never imagined," said Luís Muchanga.
In addition to the devastated agricultural fields, the farmers' union also warned of the consequences for the livestock sector, with livestock swept away by the waters, indicating that without funding, these producers will take time to recover from the impacts.
The National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) reports that 166,301 hectares of agricultural land have been affected, of which 74,769 hectares have been lost in the current rainy season since October, and especially in recent weeks, affecting 112,606 farmers, in addition to the death of 61,627 head of cattle, goats and poultry.
The National Union of farmers also notes that the floods have affected agricultural fields by washing away the soil, compromising their ability to produce food.
For Muchanga, this scenario is aggravated by the fact that most people who work the land do not have agricultural insurance or insurance for disasters.
"We don't have farmers who have agricultural insurance for disasters such as floods. What happens is that everyone fends for themselves. Unfortunately, that is the reality we have. In this country, public policies are not very proactive in this regard. So, I don't know of any farmers who have agricultural insurance; probably the big producers do," said the organisation's leader.
To prevent further damage in the coming rainy seasons, the organisation is calling for a flood warning system, including improvements in the circulation of information, as well as the construction of more water retention dykes to reduce the impact on agricultural fields.
"We need to discuss better with upstream countries about dam management mechanisms. I think we need a more in-depth dialogue on how to manage these shared resources (...). Those upstream could discuss with us downstream how we can manage and create better mechanisms to dam the current to mitigate damage," concluded Muchanga.
PME/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
