Maputo, Sept. 14, 2026 (Lusa) - Mozambique's president highlighted on Monday the opportunity to reduce chronic malnutrition among children under five, which currently stands at 37%, noting that resources for food production are available, and called on the cereals institute to set prices that promote fair treatment of farmers.
Speaking at the opening of the 1st National Conference on Food and Nutritional Security, under the theme «Food and Nutritional Security: Collective Responsibility for Mozambique's Development», Chapo said that the country has fertile land, river water and the resources to adequately feed the population and turn agriculture into a source of income, thereby questioning the prevalence of malnutrition, particularly among children.
«The prevalence of chronic malnutrition among children under five still stands at around 37%. This is the national average. There are provinces where the figure is approximately 50%,' noted Chapo.
«Faced with this reality, we must have the courage to ask a simple question, the answer to which is crucial. How can we have so much land, so much water, so many farmers and so much potential, yet at the same time continue to have so many children who still need the nutritional conditions necessary to fully develop their potential?» he asked.
The head of state said he was eager to understand how provinces with high levels of agricultural production could continue to record high levels of malnutrition, suggesting that his own reflections indicate this is due to poor eating habits.
«We need to produce more, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve preservation, storage, processing, logistics and markets, so that safe, nutritious and varied food reaches families at affordable prices. In short, we need to look at the entire machamba [farmland] supply chain, for the sake of Mozambican families,» he said.
The president wants to increasingly link agriculture to industrialisation, with Mozambicans consuming domestic produce and producers earning according to their efforts.
He therefore called on the Mozambique Cereal Institute (ICM) to regulate agricultural marketing prices, saying only then will farmers be able to make greater profits from their work.
«[The ICM] should be the final buyer of domestic produce, so that our producers receive fair prices from those who turn up and dictate the price (...), the producer has, for years, or throughout the year, made great sacrifices, shown great commitment and great dedication, but when the price reflects only market fluctuations rather than the effort they have put in throughout the year, it fails to encourage production and effectively exploits the Mozambican people,» he said.
In the same remarks, Chapo called for accelerating implementation of the 2024–2030 strategic policy on food and nutritional security and reducing chronic malnutrition among children.
Chapo wants to transform the food system by increasing productivity, reducing losses, promoting processing, strengthening markets, and ensuring that Mozambicans have access to verified, safe, and nutritious food.
«We must strengthen multisectoral convergence and the mobilisation of resources, creating the conditions for public, private and partner investment to have a positive impact on the lives of Mozambicans. We must strengthen monitoring, accountability and responsibility for the commitments made,» he urged.
The conference will conclude with a declaration of commitments on concrete actions to tackle hunger and malnutrition.
PME/ADB // ADB.
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