Since this Friday (26), small and medium farmers in Maputo have a new agricultural academy, Academia Agro, for their training.
The institution is the result of a partnership between companies and organizations linked to agriculture and livestock, responding to the need for knowledge transmission identified by them.
Participants in these training sessions have a symbolic registration fee, receiving in return knowledge, real practice, experiences, a participation diploma, and a free Agro kit with some utensils, tools, and seeds provided by the member companies of this partnership.
The first course begins on Monday and lasts for one month, mainly targeting peasant women.
“The academy is the first step for a large program that will take as long as necessary because we believe that everyone involved in agriculture needs training. This is the first course, focusing more on peasant women and then other levels; this is the starting point,” said António Fagilde, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tecnologia & Consultoria Agro-Pecuária (TECAP), in Maputo on Friday, during the launch and public presentation ceremony of “Academia Agro.”
Fagilde highlights the relevance of the school for the country, as it will “bring technical knowledge to agricultural production, better engagement and attraction to agriculture, as well as bring products to the country since we export a lot from South Africa.”
The initiative seeks to strengthen the technical and entrepreneurial capacity of farmers, providing them with access to essential practical and theoretical knowledge to increase the productivity and sustainability of their farms.
On the occasion, Firmino Cordeiro, Director-General of the Association of Young Farmers of Portugal (AJAP), emphasized the importance of training, knowledge, and exchange of experiences as fundamental pillars for the progress of the agricultural sector in Mozambique.
“We will create an academy that puts the country’s farmers at the forefront; we will work with them so that they gain more experience and knowledge. This is the big challenge, so that people can become more professional, even in their smallness in terms of the size of their farms, they can then grow by doing other profitable crops that they can sell and earn more money with,” he said.
The trainees, in turn, expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to learn and gain experience in the agricultural field, highlighting the importance of technical knowledge for the development of agricultural and livestock production in Mozambique.
“I hope to learn from other farmers and companies, gain a lot of experience in the field,” said Fernanda Olga.
Not much different from Olga, Sebastião Magaia said, “with the opportunity, we believe that we will be able to conduct our activity with some science, agriculture, and livestock.”
With the inauguration of the Agricultural Academy, not only an improvement in the productive capacity of farmers is expected, but also an increase in food security and economic development of the country, reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the national agricultural sector.
The Academia Agro is a project promoted by the Association of Young Farmers of Portugal (AJAP) AJAP – Mozambique, National Federation of Agricultural Associations of Mozambique (FENAGRI), and six important companies in the marketing and resale of production factors: Tecap, Bayer, Centrocar, Procampo, Nutagri, and Husqvarna.