The government of Manica province, in the center of the country, is urging producers to be more cautious when selling surpluses during the agricultural marketing campaign, in order to avoid the occurrence of hunger pangs.

The lack of rain in some districts of the province, associated with the El Nino phenomenon, has led to the loss of large areas of various crops.

Meanwhile, the governor of Manica, Francisca Tomás, speaking at the launch of the current agricultural marketing campaign, instructed farmers to market their produce conscientiously in order to avoid food shortages in the communities.

"This year is different from the others. We haven't had regular rain and this has compromised our production. We don't think the farmers should sell everything they've got in their fields. We're going to sell with the future in mind. Only sell surpluses", she stressed, quoted by AIM.

In addition, Francisca Tomás assured that in this marketing campaign, the Provincial Executive will strive to create conditions so that there is greater fluidity in trade, but with food reserves in mind.

"We'll be monitoring the entire marketing process. This will help maintain food security in the communities. We need to know what we have and what we're selling, so that we don't end up with pockets of hunger," he said.

This marketing year, Manica expects to place more than 1.6 million diverse crops on the markets, compared to around 1.5 million in the 2023 marketing year, representing an increase of 1.5%.

To this end, the agricultural sector and partners promise to deliver 30 tons of various seeds to producers, with an emphasis on cereals, vegetables, legumes and tubers.

The seed will benefit 1,400 producers in the districts affected by El Nino. The measure is part of an immediate intervention plan aimed at minimizing the impact of the phenomenon.