A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE POTENTIAL FOR CEREAL
PRODUCTION IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF MOZAMBIQUE

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE POTENTIAL FOR CEREAL
PRODUCTION IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF MOZAMBIQUE

ARMINDO TAMBO

The study addressed the challenges of low cereal production in the Central Region of
Mozambique. There is a persistent low level cereal production as evidenced by acute hunger
prevailing in the region, despite the condusive environment, example favourable climatic
conditions and good fertile soil for cereal production in this region.
The study sought to close the knowledge gap left by the scarcity of research in this area. More
specifically, this study investigated the main causative factors for the low production of cereals
in this part of the country. The study utilized the qualitative research paradigm, and multiple
technical methods were used in the investigation including interviews, field observation,
document review, questionnaires and group discussion as the main method of data collection.
Data were analysed and categorized for common themes and patterns. The central theme of the
analysis highlights the overall cereal production of the central region of Mozambique in relation
to the other regions. The findings revealed that cereal production in the central region of
Mozambique is very low due to a number of different interrelated number of factors, among
others lack of new or modern farming techniques such as irrigation, use of high yielding varieties
of seeds and utilization of mechanical power for cultivation of cereals on a large scale.
The concluding discussion addresses the implications for improving training approaches to
farmers, to help them develop valid and coherent personal-practical theories that match with
production reality. It also concludes that grain production in the central region of Mozambique is
low due to lack of new technologies, lack of quality seed, lack of funding for this sector by
government and gross under utilization of natural resources as most of the work is done
manually hence low grain production.

ZOU

2014