April 23, 2013

The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, an initiative of the G8 group, may invest US$380 million in the agricultural development of Mozambique.

The investment is intended to relief three million people from poverty by 2015.

According to the US Ambassador to Mozambique, Douglas Griffiths, the private sector will also provide an additional US$500 million for the development.

Griffiths said that the Mozambican government, cooperation partners and the private sector had met to draw plans for the next ten to 18 months.

The ambassador noted that among the main problems facing agricultural development are a lack of infrastructure, particularly roads, railway lines and grain storage systems, and low productivity.

He added that there are already parties working with small farmers to help improve production and marketing.

Among the main partners in the alliance in Mozambique will be the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).