The structure and trends of public expenditure on agriculture in Mozambique

The fight against poverty remains the key development goal of the Government of Mozambique (GoM). Success in the transformation of the agriculture sector is considered a necessary condition for meeting the goal because agriculture and poverty are closely related. About 80% of the population heavily depends on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood, and about 73% lives in rural areas. Currently, the level of agricultural productivity is low compared to that in other developing countries, including southern African countries. The low level of crop productivity is not surprising given the dependency on rain-fed agriculture and the limited use of fertilizers and improved seeds.