The Mozambican government and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, are assessing financing and investment mechanisms for smallholder farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), with the aim of improving access to credit, technology and markets.

The discussions took place during a meeting between Minister of Planning and Development Salim Valá and IFC Regional Vice-President for Africa Ethiopis Tafara, held on the sidelines of the Lusophone Africa Investment Forum, which took place on 26 and 27 October on Sal Island, Cape Verde.

Among the key proposals under consideration is the potential implementation in Mozambique of the Global AgriConnect Platform, an initiative that combines digital technology, financial institutions and agribusiness companies to boost productivity and integrate smallholder farmers into value chains.

The platform could benefit approximately 5.2 million Mozambican smallholder farmers through solutions facilitating access to seeds, fertilisers, mechanisation, financial services and buyers.

According to the IFC, comparable programmes have already reached around four million producers in Ethiopia and one million in Nigeria, with some initiatives recording productivity gains of between 30% and 50%.

Beyond agriculture, discussions also covered investment opportunities in energy and infrastructure, with particular emphasis on the Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower project and the Beira Corridor, including the port and its road and rail connections, according to newspaper O País.

In the business sector, the IFC indicated its readiness to assess mechanisms including bank guarantees, financial technology solutions and supply-chain financing instruments, with a view to easing MSMEs’ access to credit.

At the same meeting, Salim Valá presented a range of government initiatives designed to finance economic activity, including the Local Economic Development Fund (FDEL), the Fund for Women’s Economic Promotion, the Mutual Guarantee Fund and the Development Bank.

Both parties agreed to deepen technical coordination through the designation of focal points to identify priority projects, potential partners and financing instruments.