Agricultural Innovations Aim to Transform Niassa Province

The article discusses the agricultural challenges and initiatives in Niassa, a province in northern Mozambique where 96% of the population is involved in farming. Farmers face significant issues, including a 60% yield gap between male and female-led farms and uneven adoption of improved crop varieties. The Transformative Dryland Crops Project, supported by CIMMYT and Irish Aid, aims to address these challenges by enhancing food security and boosting incomes for over 14,000 farm families. The project focuses on drought-tolerant crops like pigeon peas, groundnuts, common beans, and soybeans, and uses a ‘hub-model’ approach to facilitate collaboration and technology dissemination. Key goals include narrowing the gender yield gap, increasing adoption rates of improved crops, and improving overall agricultural productivity. The initiative also promotes gender equity, resilience to climate shocks, sustainable resource management, capacity building, and inclusive market systems. Local leaders and stakeholders, including Niassa’s Secretary of State and the Governor of Lichinga, have expressed strong support for the project’s potential to significantly improve livelihoods and food security in the region.