According to the United States Ambassador to Mozambique, Douglas Griffiths, “development partners are to contribute 380 million dollars and the private sector will provide another 500 million dollars”.
The Ambassador was speaking on Thursday at the end of a two day meeting marking the alliance’s formal launch in Mozambique.
Ambassador Griffiths told reporters that the Mozambican government, cooperation partners and the private sector met to draw up a roadmap of activities for the next ten to 18 months.
The American diplomat pointed out that among the main problems facing agricultural development are a lack of infrastructure (particularly roads, railway lines and grain storage systems) and low productivity.
He said that there are already people interested in working with small farmers to help improve production and marketing.
Among the main partners in the alliance in Mozambique will be the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The United States has pledged to disburse 107 million dollars, whilst JICA is closely involved in the ProSavana project for agricultural development in the north of Mozambique, mostly along the Nacala Development Corridor.
Partners in the New Alliance have promised to invest 22 billion dollars before 2015 in the target countries which include Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania.
Post published in: Africa News