Most communities along the Corridor have agriculture as their source of livelihood and income generation. In- spired by the working spirit of the communities, Nacala Logistics is supporting around 15 thousand families through social projects that are being implemented along the Nacala Corridor. The company invests in the areas of agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, water borehole drilling, training of local labor in professional courses, among others. Out of all the families being supported, 11 thousand are in the area of agriculture. In the first season of the 2019/2020 campaign, Nacala Logistics supported communities with more than 145 tons of quality rice, corn, soy, sesame, peanut and cowpea seeds. At the moment, the populations are in the process of harvesting or commercializing. In the second season, which consisted of promoting home-grown vegetables, another 220 thousand grams of lettuce, tomato, onion, carrot, cucumber, cabbage and cabbage seeds were distributed to producers.
Support in agriculture consists of providing quality inputs, allocation of agricultural tools, technical assistance, training in the area of agribusiness and connection to markets. The company’s investment in the agricultural sector aims to ensure food and nutritional security for communities. In the district of Mossuril, Nampula Province, Samuel Rashid, leader of five associate producers who received quality seeds and production tools, is also satisfied with the results of the produce he plans to harvest in an area of more than 1 hectare.
“Production is guaranteed. We are currently making contacts to supply the market with high quality products. Last year, I produced a lot of sesame and sold it on the local market. With that money, I bought a motor pump that we are using to irrigate the fields”, he says, thanking the support of Nacala Logistics. From Mossuril, the team headed to the neighboring district of Monapo, specifiincally in the locality of Nacololo, where several producers are benefiting from the company’s support in the field of agriculture. In this part of the province of Nampula, the conversation was with producer Guilherme Caetano. We found him at a time of sesame harvest and storage. According to the producer, in the current harvest he worked in an area of 8 hectares and ensured that before finishing the harvest he counts 5 tons of this cash crop. “I have been receiving support from Nacala Logistics in seeds and technical assistance. I bet a lot on sesa- me cultivation for its commercial value. With last year’s production I managed to buy a mill worth 150 thousand meticais. The equipment is helping the community in the processing of cereals and I manage to increase my income with the amount from service provision. I am grateful for the company’s support,”he said.
Still in the locality of Nacololo, our team witnessed other examples of the successful social investment of Nacala Logistics. After selling sesame, Carlitos Joaquim built a grocery store to generate more family income and bought a bicycle and a solar panel. According to the beneficiary, Nacala Logistics’ social investment is improving the living conditions of the communities.
“I am proof that living conditions are improving within the communities, with support from Nacala Logistics. I bought several items with the money earned from the sale of agricultural products. We received support from the company in improved seeds and we have technicians who teach us how to produce each type of crop. In the next campaign my bet is to increase the cultivation area”, he guaranteed. In turn, Julieta Muarapaz is building a type 3 improved house with the money earned from the sale of her produce.
“In the campaign which has just ended, I produced 4 tons of sesame. With the sale price I bought the building material and began the works. Right now, I am in the process of harvesting this cash crop to add the finishing touches to my home. I already have a house to for my three grandchildren. I hope that the support does not end here so that I may be able to carry out other projects”, he requested. After Monapo, our team traveled a few kilometers to the Administrative Post of Namina, in the Mecuburi district, Nampula province. In this part of the province, we visited Bernardo Cassiano’s vege- table smallholder farm, in an area of 3 hectares. Cassiano, who employs five people, guarantees that since 2018, when he started to be supported, his life has improved a lot. “I managed to build a better house, one of my sons already has a driving license and the other one is in 12th grade, all thanks to agricultural production. Now, I intend to buy a vehicle to facilitate the flow of products to the markets”, said the farmer during a field visit by Ernesto Pacule, Nampula Provincial Director of Agriculture and Fisheries.
“Thanks to the investment in social areas, there is an increase in agricultural production and family income in the communities. “
The Provincial Director’s visit to the districts of Rapale and Mecuburi aimed at verifying the impact of Nacala Logistics’ social investment on the lives of the communities. In the end, he made a positive assessment of what he saw on the ground and highlighted the importance of what is being done. “We are monitoring the impact of Nacala Logistics’ social investment in our province. We saw that there is a lot of involvement of families in production, especially in crops with higher economic value in the markets, such as cabbage, onions and tomatoes. The assessment is positive”, he assured.
Nacala Logistics Community Relations Manager, Celso Mutadiua, explained that the investment in agriculture is part of the company’s strategy to ensure food and nutritional security for the communities that live in the vicinity of the railway line. “We are investing in the well-being of the communities. In addition to agriculture, we support in areas such as poultry, beekeeping, fishing, water borehole drilling and training young peo- ple in professional areas such as mechanics, construction, electricity, among others. We carry out a periodic assessment of those impacted to see in which aspects they still need our attention and where they are already able to go at it alone”, explained the person in charge.
Photo: Courtesy Of The Company
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