Impacto socio-económico da cultura do algodão: o caso do distrito de Monapo província de Nampula (1986 - 2003)

Abstract

This work analyzes the relationship between cotton culture and the improvement of the standard of living of peasant producers, which is one of the main export crops in the country. The data used in the present study were obtained from fieldwork carried out during the course of the first semester of 2004 in the district of Monapo, one of the largest cotton producers in the province of Nampula. The results of the research reveal that the cotton culture in the Monapo district is promoted by three companies that have the title of concessionaires; that the district of Monapo has excellent conditions for the practice of agriculture, which contributes to making it one of the largest producers of cotton culture. However, in contrast to the favorable pedological conditions for the practice of agriculture, the population of the Monapo district is confronted with the problem of hunger and this, hunger, plagues significantly the administrative posts that have the best soils for the practice of agriculture. On the other hand, concessionary companies that are dedicated to the promotion of cotton in the district have disconnected from the production of this culture, putting all the peasants who worked on their machambas into unemployment. The survey also revealed that there is a lack of clarity in the criteria used to define producer prices, lack of inspection of the activities of the concessionaires by the respective government agencies, as well as non-involvement of the concessionary companies in social programs.