Maputo, Mozambique, 19 Sept – An agricultural zoning programme to identify with precision the areas of agricultural potential in Mozambique and allowing for better planning of land use is underway in Mozambique, said the deputy Agriculture Minister, António Limbau.

The programme, which is being carried out by the Agriculture Ministry and is due to be concluded in 2012, has already been carried out in Zambézia province, and is underway in the provinces of Sofala, Nampula and Cabo Delgado.

The essential aim of the programme that has been started this year is to locate and quantify arable land for sustainable exploration with a view to increasing production and productivity levels, according to Mozambican daily newspaper Notícias.

According to the Mozambican agricultural authorities, the 2012/13 agricultural campaign will be crucial for the government’s aim to produce food to meet domestic needs and to look to the regional market as a business opportunity and thus to improve the country’s economy within the context of the African continent.

Once agricultural zoning has been carried out the government will have information on what to do in order to attract investors to produce and process agricultural and livestock products locally, which will require a reliable electricity source as well as road and rail networks in order to ensure goods are distributed to their potential markets.

This is why the government strategy for the next few years includes making regional corridors viable. The Maputo corridor is, out of the three in the country (including Nacala and Beira) the one that is best equipped, specifically in terms of electricity from the national grid, as well as with road and rail systems. (macauhub)