The use of conservation agriculture by smallholder farmers in central and northern Mozambique , 2010 / 11

Agricultural productivity levels depend on the adoption of (improved) agricultural technologies, among other aspects. However, the use of improved technologies in Mozambique is still very limited. Data from the National Agricultural Survey of 2012, known as Inquérito Agrícola Integrado, show that less than 3% of smallholder farmers used inorganic fertilizers, 6% used pesticides, 9% used improved maize seeds, and only 8% used animal traction. The survey also indicates that agriculture is mainly rainfed, with limited use of irrigation, about 9.1% in the study area. The use of Conservation Agriculture (CA) seems to be a strategic and timely response to constraints to agricultural productivity growth in the face of climate change. CA promotes the natural ecological processes to increase agricultural productivity and sustainability through practices such as minimum soil disturbance, maintenance of permanent soil cover and crop diversification, which includes the use of cover crops (FAO, 2001).