Effects of Kenneth Cyclone on Groundnut Crop (Arachis hypogaea L.) in Two Districts of Northern Mozambique

In Mozambique,groundnut(Arachis hypogaea L.)in terms of importance is the third crop after maize(Zea mays L.)and cassava(Manihot esculenta).But due to geographical location,the country suffers major impacts of climate change and natural phenomena that also influence the production of this crop.The recent Kenneth cyclone that has affected Northern Mozambique,Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces,is an example of such problems.This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Kenneth cyclone on groundnut cultivation in Eráti and Meconta districts in Nampula province.The research used a questionnaire with closed and open questions to collect data from 31 producers and five traders in Eráti and Meconta districts.Based on the data the sum of the overall average production losses between the two districts was approximately 60%,in which Eráti lost 52%and Meconta 67%of the total production expected for groundnut.The biggest impact was the loss of unharvested groundnut germination and the deterioration of the groundnut in the field while drying.Kenneth cyclone created appropriate conditions for the proliferation of fungus causing aflatoxin,Aspergillus flavus.Samples collected for laboratory analysis showed high levels of total aflatoxins,some 269.4 ppb in Meconta and 148.3 ppb in Eráti.The purchase price of groundnut in Eráti during this period varied naturally based on product quality,with 0.8 US$/kg of groundnut that looks good quality(without the presence of fungus or mould,insect damage,rotten and germinated nuts)and 0.6 US$/kg for the poor quality(presence of fungus or mould,insect damage,rotten and germinated nuts).Kenneth cyclone affected the expectations of farmers in groundnut yields in the 2018/2019 season.

Market Dynamics in Maize Production in the North Region of Mozambique

In this article,a radiography of the agricultural sector is presented,specifically in the production of maize in the district of Malema,considering that the product is one of the most produced and consumed crops by the population in the province of Nampula.Low agriculture productivity is attributed to inadequate access to production technology and inputs and to“weak”markets for agricultural products,due to poor infrastructure and inadequate access of agricultural producers to financial services(example credit).In general,several documents analyze on how small-scale agriculture has lacks of conditions,and factors necessary for high productivity and income.In contrast,there is little information that gives an idea of the situation of agricultural maize production and existing agricultural markets and how this production and these markets are changing in Mozambique today.There is,for example,a complete absence of references to large-scale investments in agriculture currently agreed with domestic and foreign trading companies.Due to this omission,the author presents a partial analysis of the current context,and,therefore,it is not well explained how the greater investment can be directed to obtain greater use of productive technology and better access to the market,among small-scale producers.It seeks to analyze in more detail the situation“diagnosis”that is intended to be made on agriculture,specifically in the maize crop,and as a way to identify the specific aspects that can be considered starting points to work in the government intervention,in order to achieve the goals and increase agricultural productivity.