More than 25 processing units will be installed by 2024, by the Zambezi Valley Development Agency, as part of the materialization of a memorandum of understanding initialed, in May, in the town of Songo, between the governors of Sofala, Manica, Tete and Zambézia.

To this end, the Provincial Business Councils (CEP) of the four provinces met last week in the city of Tete to harmonize procedures.

Nelson António, director of the Financial and Technical Assistance Services of the Zambezi Valley Development Agency (AdZ), told the newspaper Notícias that the meeting with the CEP also aimed to align the needs for support to the private sector.

According to him, AdZ has industrialization as the main basis of its strategic plan (PROZAMBEZE), aligned with the "industrialize Mozambique" program.

"Industrialization is very important for us, because it is an instrument that allows us to quickly substitute imports. Considering the opportunities that the Zambezi Valley has, we believe it can make a greater contribution to the region, the country, and the world," he said, quoted by the newspaper.

He also says that industrialization allows for the creation of economic dynamics at the local level and, based on these, the producers' raw materials to be sold, producing income and improving socioeconomic indicators.

"At this moment we are operating, with priority, in some components such as rice, which are important if we consider that we import this grain in the order of 250 million dollars. We believe we have a great opportunity to retain these currencies and, at the same time, distribute them through local economic dynamics," he said.