29
The total figure, 3,481,000 hectares, includes those agricultural concessions enumerated
in the Boletim (68,259 hectares); agricultural concessions reported by DINAGECA, Maputo
(723,741 hectares); hunting concessions (597,000 hectares); and concessions made to joint-
venture enterprises for direct production (92,000 hectares) and indirect production (2,000,000
hectares). It does not include land granted for the other types of concessions being given by
other ministries or by the provinces, and it does not include land concessions in process.
Again, more than 90 percent of the recorded concessions have been granted since 1991.
Table 1 Land concessions granted and reported by the Ministry of
Agriculture, 1986-1993
|
Concession type |
Concession area (ha) |
|
Agricultural * Hunting Forestry Joint-venture enterprise Subtotal area Agricultural indirect production Total area |
792,000 597,000 N/D 92,000 1,481,000 2,000,000 3,481,000 |
* Minimum estimate. As reported in Boletim daRepublica, 68,000 hectares;
as recorded by DINAGECA in Maputo, 724,000 hectares.
N/D = No data.
Our research suggests that many of the agricultural concessions are being acquired for
purposes of speculation. Private commercial farmers who acquired land as a concession said
either that they were not exploiting the land or that they were exploiting only a portion of it.
In some cases, these farmers stated that they lacked the resources to utilize the land and that
they would do so when they had access to enough financial capital. Others said that they were
waiting until they were sure that the war would not resume or until they were sure that they
would have secure title. Still others declared that they had no intention of investing and would
sell the land (as parcels) when it became more valuable. Some of these "farmers" also stated
that they would push off local smallholders who were on their new lands, while others said
they might allow smallholders to remain if they would agree to work as farm labor.' It is
impossible to estimate the potential adverse impact that this process will have on agricultural
production.
Many of the recipients of agricultural concessions appear to be unsure of their land tenure
status. For example, some recipients in Gaza Province stated that they were not sure if the
64. Interviews with land concession recipients in Sofala and Manica provinces, July and August 1993. This
event has been reported elsewhere; see Garvey (1994).