Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM), which exploits rubies in the province of Cabo Delgado, in the north of the country, offered five and a half tons of seeds of various crops to families affected by the armed attacks.

"The provision of seeds is made to support families who have recently returned to their areas of residence and who, having been away, have been unable to prepare their fields for the current agricultural season," the MRM said in a statement sent to the media today.

The seeds, "certified and with high production potential", were distributed to 412 families in two communities in the districts of Ancuabe and Montepuez, affected "by the attacks attributed to insurgent activity on October 20, 2022", the document quoted by Lusa said.

"This offer comes at the right time because we're in the sowing season. We thank the company for the gesture and we are sure that these seeds will help us to look after our families," said Inácio Geraldo, head of the village of Mpene, one of the beneficiaries of the initiative, quoted in the statement.

The five and a half tons of corn, bean, peanut and sesame seeds represent funding of around one million meticais, according to Montepuez Rubi Mining.

Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM) has about 34,000 hectares of concession for ruby exploration in Cabo Delgado and presents itself as the main investor in ruby extraction in Mozambique, being 75% owned by the Gemfields group and 25% owned by Mozambican Mwiriti Limitada.