Maize draws buyers from neighbouring countries

Mozambique’s maize is being sold in bulk to neighbouring countries experiencing shortages including Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Mozambican agriculture minister official was quoted as saying on Tuesday. Helder Muteia said that operators from four neighbouring states are buying large quantities of grain, particularly maize, from northern Mozambique. The minister said that because of the demand the price of maize had risen in the north of the country. “The foreign operators even reach remote areas in their quest for maize,” he said, adding that in the north “none of the farmers will face marketing problems”. He said however that the government was concerned that peasant farmers might sell their harvests resulting in maize shortages on a local level. He said that provincial agricultural authorities were advising peasant farmers to keep stocks until the 2002 harvest began.