In the past, farmers from Casa Nova had to travel approximately 400 km to Chimoio in Manica, or to the city of Beira, Sofala province, to buy seeds, which sometimes had no germination power. Ana Pascoa Lucas, who is a beneficiary of the inputs shop, said that Food Security through climate Adaption and Resilience in Central Mozambique (FAR Sofala Project) project is greatly benefiting the smallholders in the family sector since she believes the community has suffered a lot due to travelling long distances.

“During the time I was a seed seller I could see how much the farmers suffered. They travelled long distances to get seeds they needed,” she explained. Ana Pascoa Lucas, the beneficiary of the inputs shop in Casa Nova, said that at least 6000 farming families in her region would have their travelling distances shortened.

“I know this area very well. Many farmers go from here to the city of Beira to buy a few kilograms of seed. Now the hardship will cease. People will have more time to take care of their fields and will be able to save the money they would have had to use for bus fare,” Lucas explained. She said that the training sponsored by AFAP allowed her to understand business in a more professional way and allowed her also to improve her profit margins.

“Before working with AFAP, I had been developing my commercial activities, including selling seeds, but I did business in an empirical way. Fortunately, AFAP and its partners showed me how to develop a business and be prosperous without harming anyone. These are lessons that we are also passing on to other members of our community