• Facing rising costs and global trade uncertainty, the southern African nation is leveraging its arable land and water resources to boost food production

• The partnership shifts Thailand’s role from primary rice exporter to a key knowledge and technology partner, sharing its entire value chain expertise with Maputo

ARTICLE BY: Staff Reporter

Mozambique is looking to Thailand for knowledge, technology, and practical expertise as it aims to dramatically increase domestic rice production and cut back on expensive annual food imports.

The drive for greater food sovereignty was the central theme of a meeting held in Maputo on Friday between a Thai business delegation and local leaders. The Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (known by the Portuguese initials CTA) used the occasion to call for deeper agricultural cooperation, with a sharp focus on revitalising rice cultivation, Mozambique’s AIM news agency reports.

According to Amâncio Gume, vice-president of the CTA, the fundamentals for success are already present: Mozambique boasts some 36 million hectares of arable land, generous water supplies, and climatic conditions suitable for multiple harvests each year. However, he noted that only a small portion of this potential is currently being utilised.

The country imports hundreds of thousands of tonnes of rice every year, with much of it sourced from Thailand. For Mozambican policymakers and business leaders, this reliance on imports presents a clear vulnerability while also creating an investment opportunity.

Gume emphasised that a guaranteed domestic market exists for anyone prepared to invest in local production, irrigation, mechanisation, and agro-processing, arguing that Mozambique must move beyond being simply a consumer of imported rice. His vision extends beyond self-sufficiency, outlining an ambition to transform Mozambique into a regional agro-industrial and production hub for the entire Southern African Development Community (SADC).

This view was echoed by government officials, with Alfredo Nampuio of the Ministry of Economy’s Directorate for Private Sector Support highlighting specific areas of strong potential. These regions include northern coastal territories, the established rice-producing province of Zambézia, and the Chókwè Valley in the south.

Nampuio also pointed to Mozambique’s logistics infrastructure – specifically, its internal transport corridors and the deepwater Port of Nacala, which can accommodate large vessels – as critical assets for scaling up both production and exports.

For the visiting Thai delegates, the meeting provided a platform to redefine Thailand’s role. Phong Mekthipphachai, representing the Thai business mission, stated that the country is ready to partner in agricultural transformation by sharing expertise across the whole rice value chain, covering everything from cultivation techniques and fertiliser application to climate adaptation and processing methods. He added that Thai producer associations already regularly host international visitors for field-based workshops to demonstrate production methods first-hand.

Both parties acknowledged that global uncertainty, coupled with rising energy and logistics expenses, have made food imports more costly and less dependable, strengthening the case for increased domestic production capacity.

Mozambique’s core strategy is to reduce its dependence on foreign imports, cultivate local value chains, and secure vital investment for irrigation, mechanisation, and processing facilities. Thailand sees an opportunity to export its technical expertise, technology, and partnerships rather than just the commodity crop.

The Maputo gathering ended with a networking session dedicated to identifying concrete joint ventures. While it remains to be seen whether these preliminary discussions will translate into large-scale, tangible projects, the direction  is evident: Mozambique is determined to grow its own rice, and Thailand is poised to help achieve that objective.

Published Date: March 9, 2026