The World Bank and Japan contributed US$13 million of the US$90 million needed to carry out Mozambique’s Sustainable Irrigation Development Project (Proirri), said the coordinator of the project, Manuel Magombe.

The project, which intends to cover 5,500 hectares by 2017, in the provinces of Manica, Sofala and Zambezia, in central Mozambique, will have a first phase with 12 irrigation systems, including eight in Manica, covering a total of 193 hectares, two in Sofala to cover 160 hectares and an equal number in Zambezia for 210 hectares.

The project coordinator told Mozambican daily newspaper Notícias that 60 million meticais would be invested in two irrigation systems, covering 150 hectares, in the districts of Nhamatanda and Buzi for this campaign.

In Zambezia province the first irrigation project is located in Change-Macequesse, where farmers will plant cane sugar in an area of 60 hectares, the products of which will be sold to the Mafambisse sugar factory in Dondo, owned by Açucareira de Moçambique. (macauhub/MZ)