Identification and estimation of the sugarcane production potential of Mozambique

Abstract

Identifying the potential areas that can produce sugarcane is extremely important, especially for developing countries. Most of the territories in Mozambique have soils with high and medium agricultural potential but are hampered by water conditions. Therefore, irrigation is the only solution to ensure certainty in agricultural production. In addition, to set up new business a minimum of infrastructure is required, like roads. The objective of this work is to estimate sugarcane productivity and production potential of Mozambique from agrometeorological data and soil maps using the intersection buffers of 25 km of rivers and 50 km of land transport routes. The analysis allowed the identification of potential areas and it is concluded that irrigation is necessary for high yield of sugarcane in Mozambique, but there are areas where it is possible for the cultivation just by rain fed. The estimated available area was 11,943,071 ha for irrigated areas and 11.640.221 ha for rainfall areas (15% of the country area). From the yield on these areas, it was possible to estimate the potential production of 1,030 Mt year-1 , with full irrigation and 611 Mt year-1 by rainfall. The productivity values generated by the model showed satisfactory results compared to the data observed in a production unit located in Marromeu, both for rainfed and irrigated.