Land tenure security and state farm divestiture in Mozambique : case studies in Nhamatanda, Manica, and Montepuez districts

This paper assesses the consequences of Mozambique"s haphazard divestiture system through case studies of Lamego State Agricultural Enterprise, Nhamatanda District; Vanduzi State Farm, Manica District; and Cabo Delgado Cotton State Farm, Montepuez District. The primary conclusion is that the country"s agricultural sector is suffering severely due to land tenure insecurity. In all three cases, smallholders are being displaced by officials who consider them incapable of exploiting state farm infrastructure and equipment, while larger commercial farmers are being denied credit because their tenure rights are by no means firmly established. Land tenure uncertainty has discouraged agricultural investment and caused a decline in productivity. Secondly, assets anticipated from liquidation of state lands, and intended for use in debt reduction, have not been collected as some applicants for state farm land have been allowed to occupy land without purchasing or paying rent. In addition to the three case studies, the paper includes a general historical overview of the state farm sector, focusing on policy, legal, and economic factors affecting its emergence and collapse. Intermediate- and long-term recommendations are provided in conclusion, along with a 6-page bibliography.