Italy’s Ambassador Visits Manica Province to Boost Agro-Industry
Maputo: Italy’s ambassador to Mozambique, Gabriele Annis, conducted an official visit to the Manica province from May 26 to 28, 2025. Accompanied by Paolo Sertoli, director of the Maputo office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, and Simone Santi, president of the Mozambique-Italy Chamber of Commerce, the visit aimed to assess Italian cooperation projects under the Mattei Plan for Africa, as announced by the Italian Embassy in Maputo.
According to Ansa News Agency, Manica is a focal point for Italian activities in Mozambique’s agricultural sector, with projects worth approximately EUR 100 million underway. A key project is the Manica Agri-Food Centre (Caam), which is modeled on Italian practices and focuses on processing, preserving, and packaging agricultural products to add value. During the visit, Ambassador Annis met with Governor Francisca Tomas, Chimoio Mayor Joo Ferreira, and other local officials, all of whom recognized the potential of Caam to transform Manica’s agricultural sector into an agro-industry.
The Caam project is in its early stages, with Aics Maputo preparing to publish a tender for infrastructure design on land identified near the airport to facilitate product shipment. Ambassador Annis also launched projects related to Caam, including facilities for the Baru© fruit cooperative and the ‘Manica para as Mulheres’ micro-credit programme for small agricultural entrepreneurs, as per the press release.
The ambassador visited vegetable-growing schools under the Prodai initiative, funded by Italian Cooperation, and the ‘Mais Valor’ project, funded by Unido, which aims to enhance female entrepreneurship in coffee value chains.
The mission’s innovative aspect was the involvement of Simone Santi, president of the Italian-Mozambican Chamber of Commerce, and the company Agrovida. Ambassador Annis emphasized that the Chamber’s participation aims to integrate the private sector into cooperation projects, ensuring sustainability and identifying business opportunities.
A significant event during the mission was a networking meeting with Manica’s business community, organized by the local industrial federation. The Italian delegation briefed local entrepreneurs on the Caam project and encouraged their involvement, which was well-received.
Ambassador Annis announced plans for a follow-up mission between September and October to expand company involvement, launch additional Caam-related projects, and assess progress with Mozambican authorities.