Maputo, 27 April (AIM) – The Mozambican government has just invested 600 million meticais (about 9.4 million dollars) in the acquisition of bulls, aiming to improve the genetics of cattle, creating conditions for increased production of quality meat.
According to Agriculture Minister Celso Correia, speaking during the launching ceremony of the Animal Vaccination Campaign and the Second National Livestock Forum on Tuesday, in Matutuíne district, in Maputo province, “about 2,000 cattle will be distributed to family farmers in the coming days in order to improve the quality of their livestock, as well as to improve the quantity and quality of meat to be supplied to the population.”
The initiative, he said, is financed by the Programme for the Inclusive Development of the Food Value Chain (PROCAVA), an initiative of the Government and its partners aiming to boost food production.
Correia indicated that the beneficiaries have, on average, 30 to 50 animals, and with the delivery of the bulls they will increase production levels, with the programme expected to transform production methods and improve the quality of life of the farmers.
“The initiative will be extended to more Mozambicans in the coming years, calling for better organization and commitment in production”, he said, explaining that regarding the animal vaccination campaign, “everything is being done for the necessary coverage, in order to guarantee the immunization of the cattle and, in this way, protect public health.”
The minister also said that the goal is to reach at least 80 percent coverage of the bovine population.
“In previous years, it was difficult to reach this percentage, but in the last three years the country has surpassed the goal”, Correia said, adding that “this progress was possible because more vaccines were produced in the research laboratories, making the country a reference in the livestock sector.”
However, he warned that the challenges are huge and there is a long way to go, especially in the areas of access to resilient technologies, and prevention of animal diseases.
(AIM)
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