The project develops five large irrigated farming sites in central Mozambique, all for rice, vegetables, maize and beans. In the Zambezi Basin, the sites are Chinde (84,694 ha, Zambezi River, Beira Corridor), Munda-Munda (2,600 ha, Zambezi River, Sena Corridor), Murrudugulo and Mutorini (17,000 ha, Raraga River, Sena Corridor) and Tewe (5,400 ha, Raraga River, Sena Corridor). In the Beira Corridor, the Buzi site covers 83,000 ha on the Buzi River, about 70 km from the corridor. Together the sites cover 109,694 ha in the Zambezi corridor and 83,000 ha in the Beira corridor. The project is needed to expand food production at scale, increase national food security, and generate regional exports through the Sena and Beira rail lines and the Port of Beira.
Project overview
Investment opportunity
The sites offer some of the largest irrigable land blocks in the region, from 2,600 ha to over 84,000 ha, with river water and rail access. Investment ranges from USD 13–20.8 million at Munda-Munda to USD 424–678 million at Chinde, so investors can enter at the scale that fits them. Produce can move through the Sena and Beira rail corridors to the Port of Beira, the regional export gateway serving Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and the DRC. The Government is seeking equity investors and PPP partners to develop the irrigation schemes, farm operations and associated logistics, either site by site or as a corridor programme.
Investment types sought
Project status
Development stage
Feasibility & due diligence
Current status / progress to date
Feasibility studies under way for five identified sites: Chinde, Munda-Munda, Murrudugulo and Mutorini, Tewe and Buzi. Area, water source and rail access have been characterised for each site.
Expected impact
Jobs created / supported
Not quantified in the pipeline. With nearly 193,000 ha across five sites, the project would create substantial rural employment in irrigation construction, farming, processing and logistics.
Economic & development benefits
- Large-scale expansion of rice, maize, vegetable and bean production
- Regional export growth through the Port of Beira
- Uses existing Sena and Beira rail corridors
- Reduces food import dependence
Climate & resilience benefits
- Irrigation from the Zambezi, Raraga and Buzi rivers reduces dependence on seasonal rainfall
- Strengthens food security against drought and climate variability
Contact
Contact team
For more information about this project, please contact the Commonwealth Investment Platform team.