Mozambique Secures $22.8M AfDB Grant for Rice and Climate Resilience
The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved a $22.8 million grant from its concessional African Development Fund to enhance Mozambique’s rice value chain and improve climate resilience, benefiting 30,000 smallholder farmers across four provinces.
The funding will support the Rice Value Chain and Climate Resilience Project (RIVACREP), which aims to increase Mozambique’s rice self-sufficiency from 50% to 75% by 2030. The initiative addresses urgent food security challenges in a country that currently produces only half of the 600,000 tons of rice it consumes annually.
“By targeting the most vulnerable populations and promoting climate-smart technologies, the grant will create a lasting impact on food security and rural livelihoods,” said Macmillan Anyanwu, AfDB Country Manager for Mozambique. The project prioritises women, who represent 70% of beneficiaries, and youth, accounting for 30%.
RIVACREP seeks to quadruple rice yields, from one ton to four tons per hectare, and raise annual household incomes from around $590 to $1,000. Early results are expected to generate an additional 6,000 tons of rice annually.
The project will rehabilitate 1,000 hectares of irrigation infrastructure, mainly in Gaza province, establish five small-scale milling factories, and develop 10 aggregator centres through public-private partnerships. Key interventions include drainage improvements, soil levelling, climate-resilient storage facilities, and the introduction of drought- and flood-tolerant rice varieties, supported by international research collaborations. Post-harvest losses are projected to fall from 26% to 12%.
“By building resilient infrastructure and integrating private sector actors, RIVACREP will reduce import dependency, foster domestic value addition, and lay the foundation for an industrialised, climate-smart rice sector,” said Neeraj Vij, AfDB Regional Sector Manager.
The project also targets nutrition, promoting biofortified rice varieties rich in iron and zinc to address malnutrition, particularly among children in Zambezia province, where stunting rates reach 44%. A Contingency Emergency Response mechanism will provide rapid support during climate or security crises.
Mozambique’s Ministry of Agriculture, Environment, and Fisheries will oversee implementation, ensuring environmental and social safeguards. The project runs from December 2025 to December 2030, with a mid-term review in 2028, aligning with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The African Development Fund provides concessional grants and soft loans to Africa’s most vulnerable countries, reinforcing AfDB’s commitment to climate resilience, inclusive growth, and value-added agricultural production.
