
What is majorly farmed in Mozambique’s agriculture sector? Mozambique has a variety of regional cropping patterns; Agro-climatic zones range from arid and semi-arid (mostly in the south and south-west) to the sub-humid zones (mostly in the center and the north) to the humid highlands(mostly the central provinces). The most fertile areas are in the northern and central provinces, which have high Agro-ecological potential and generally produce agricultural surpluses. Southern provinces have poorer soils and scarce rainfall, and are subject to recurrent droughts and floods
With the large majority of agricultural production being rain-fed, weather variability is a major factor in determining crops performance. The main growing season starts with the first rains in September in the south and December in the north. There is also a minor growing season, based on residual soil moisture, from March to July, accounting for approximately 10 percent of total output.
Agriculture is for the most part based on small, hand-cultivated units often farmed by women-headed households. About 97 percent of production comes from some 3.2 million subsistence farms averaging 1.2 hectares. The smallholder sector in Mozambique is characterized by holdings of multiple small plots, multiple crops, rain-fed water, traditional varieties, low intensity fertilizer and pesticide use and little or no mechanization and low productivity. Most households diversify to cope with low productivity and income. The majority practice extensive shifting cultivation, only about one-third sell any crop output, and almost two-thirds live in households that lack food security
Mozambique's surface or total area is 784.955kmq, i.e.: 78.5 million hectares. There are about 36 million hectares of arable land suitable for agriculture. However, only ten percent of the arable land, 3.9 million hectares, is estimated to be cultivated. The remainder of the total area is under pastures(44 million ha) and forest/woodlands (30.7 million ha)
About 118,000 hectares are equipped for irrigation covering 3% of the potential land.

Crops
Food crop production is the most important agriculture sub-sector accounting for around 80 percent of the cultivated area. Maize and cassava are the major staples; other food crops include sorghum, millet, rice, beans, groundnut, sweet potatoes and a wide variety of vegetables. Maize is grown in all regions of the country by about 79 percent of rural households and occupies about 35 percent of total planted area. Cassava is grown mainly in the north and south-east, where it is the main staple. This crop is an important component of the smallholder’s risk reduction strategy because it is drought tolerant and resistant to disease. Groundnut is cultivated on sandy soils in most locations and makes an important contribution to household diet and income. The main cash crops are tobacco, cotton, sesame, sugar and tea. Tree crops, especially coconut and cashew, grown by small farmers, are an important source of foreign exchange earnings, and contribute to household food security.
Technology and Techniques
The use of modern technologies and irrigation facilities is limited to a small number of commercial farms growing cash crops and vegetables and to out-growers of tobacco and cotton-producing crops on contract. Average crop yields are about half of the regional standard estimates indicating huge scope for improvement.