MOZAMBIQUE – Mozambique has partnered with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), to launch an aquaculture projected aimed to support more than 88,000 rural small-scale fish farmers.

The PRODAPE project, worth US$49m, targets to support the transition of the aquaculture sector from subsistence to commercial production, underpinned by the involvement of small-scale farmers, particularly women and unemployed young people ready to embrace aquapreneurship.

Through this, the initiative will play a crucial role in the socio-economic development of the country and improve nutrition, food security, and increase production and incomes.

“The promotion of aquaculture dominated by the family sector fits perfectly into the Government’s strategic vision, as the process favours the insertion of rural families in the economy, and in the entire value chain for job creation and income,” said Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique.

The funding of the project includes an US$8.6 million loan and US$34.4 million grant from IFAD. In addition, the Government of Mozambique is providing US$3.1 million, with a further US$2.9 million contributed by beneficiaries themselves.

Mozambique is home to a wide variety of fish, which can be farmed and thus help to address the country’s nutritional challenges, as well as providing exports for regional markets.

“The promotion of aquaculture dominated by the family sector fits perfectly into the Government’s strategic vision, as the process favours the insertion of rural families in the economy, and in the entire value chain for job creation and income.”

Filipe Jacinto Nyusi – President of the Republic of Mozambique

However, aquaculture development in the country has been challenging due to the lack of access to inputs such as fish feed, seeds and financial services.

“Fisheries and aquaculture are key elements of the Blue Economy and Agenda 2030. This sector contributes for food security, nutrition and employs 60 million people,” said Sara Mbago-Bhunu, Regional Director for East and Southern Africa Division of IFAD.  

The new project aims to develop a cheap protein source for improved diets, and to create jobs and income-generating opportunities for rural people in 23 districts in seven provinces.

It will also reduce the participants’ vulnerability to climate change through sustainable practices and draw lessons from the cyclone Idai and Kenneth disasters of 2019.

Further to that, it will promote a range of sustainable fish production technologies such as earthen ponds, use of solar and wind-generated energy along the cold chain, fishponds integrated with livestock and crops, and cage culture in large inland water and modern aquaponics systems.

It will establish and consolidate local commercial input supply networks for fish feed and fingerlings at competitive and affordable prices.

PRODAPE will help integrate small-scale fish farmers into the aquaculture value chain, linking them to markets and business partners.

It will also facilitate access to affordable financial services through the ongoing IFAD-supported Rural Enterprise Finance Project in Mozambique.

Since 1983, IFAD has invested more than US$386.47 million in 15 rural development programs and projects in Mozambique worth a total of almost $585million. These interventions have directly benefited 2,391,789 rural families.