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Authors:

Nienke Beintema and Antonieta Nhamusso

Year:

2016

Publisher

International Food Policy Research Institute and Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique

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Spending and capacity increase

Substantial, if volatile, growth in government support led to increased agricultural research spending during 2011–2014. Despite this overall growth, Mozambique still invests a very low share of its AgGDP in agricultural research—0.36 percent in 2014—which is well below the recommended 1 percent target set by the African Union and the United Nations. Agricultural researcher numbers declined sharply in 2012 and 2013 due to contractions in BSc- qualified researchers. The number of MSc- and PhD- researchers, however, continued to increase during 2011–2014.

Dwindling donor support

Mozambique received substantial donor funding to rebuild its agricultural research system after the political conflict that ended in 1992, but donor support has been negligible since 2011. Aside from a World Bank loan to support rice research under APPSA, IIAM, the country’s principal agricultural research agency, is entirely dependent on government funding. Although government contributions to IIAM have increased over time, they remain low, especially in terms of day-to-day operations and capital investments.

Training needed

Agricultural researchers in Mozambique are mostly young, trained to the BSc or MSc level, and in need of mentoring and experience. As of 2014, only 11 percent held PhD degrees. One constraint to training is the lack of relevant MSc- and PhD-training programs in Mozambique. APPSA, funded through a World Bank loan, includes a large human resource development component, but further mechanisms are needed to strengthen the country’s pool of in agricultural researchers both through training, improved remuneration, and other incentives.

Challenges to food security

Mozambique still faces frequent food production shortages, particularly in areas prone to droughts and flooding. Research has the potential to provide the necessary technological solutions to enable the country to reverse declining agricultural productivity trends and achieve food security. Increased investments in human resources, infrastructure, and research programs are needed, as is the creation of incentives and mechanisms to strengthen the provision of extension and advisory services and involve the private sector in agricultural research.