by Benilde Macheze
With the cyclical climate changes the country has been experiencing, many women farmers see their crops at risk of devastation. This year’s agricultural season has faced unprecedented challenges in some districts of Inhambane province, where the rising waters of the Save River have inundated the production areas of various crops belonging to farmer Ana Nhampossa.
Nhampossa is a farmer and reported that her farm was completely flooded while she was producing cabbage and lettuce. The floods negatively affect the vulnerable population that primarily relies on agriculture, as they need to work daily on their farms to produce food for their survival and that of their families. They also sell their produce to obtain some monetary value to purchase other food items, pay for transportation, and meet other needs.
Ana is a producer of different horticultural crops in Inhambane province. With this activity, she ensures the nourishment of her children and grandchildren. With the invasion of water in her production field, she almost lost all her crops. However, she was forced to salvage what was left.
As a result of this phenomenon, her family is now vulnerable to hunger, as they work for their own survival and that of their relatives. Nhampossa considers the first production season of horticultural crops lost, which could significantly worsen food insecurity within the family.
