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This event marks the beginning of a busy season in the district, known for producing high-quality litchi. This year’s harvest brings a lot of hope to the farmers engaged in this fruit cultivation. Farmers are ready to supply both local and international markets. The cooperative is playing an important role by helping its members to collect and transport the fruit to Westfalia’s packinghouse in Chimoio City. This year, cooperative members received training in good agronomic practices and post-harvest handling. These trainings are part of the GLOBAL G.A.P. certification process and help reduce losses and improve fruit quality, which is essential to meeting the needs of export markets, especially in Europe and South Africa, where Mozambican litchi is well accepted. With higher production expected compared to last year, the campaign is likely to bring positive changes to the economy of Báruè District, supporting the strengthening of the agricultural value chains and promoting the integration of smallholder farmers in inclusive and sustainable value chains. The litchi harvest in Catandica is a sign of strength and hope for the local community, which sees this crop as a chance for development and a better future for the region.

The construction of the Solar-Powered Agri Hub (SPAH) in Catandica village, Báruè District, Manica Province, has recently been completed. This milestone is part of the Mais Valor 1 Project (UNIDO 17027), funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), and will serve as the new cooperative’s headquarters. The facility includes a conventional warehouse, a cold storage room, an office, and a computer room dedicated to training young people in Information and Communication Technologies. The Solar-Powered Agri Hub offers a wide range of services, including storage for agricultural products and a dedicated space for training space in good agricultural practices and digital skills. Powered by solar energy, the hub aims to reduce post-harvest losses and promote efficient use of natural resources.

As part of ongoing efforts to improve the logistics of agricultural products and strengthen the fruit value chain in Báruè District, five (5) potential sites have been identified for the construction of fruit aggregation units. This initiative aims to support small-scale farmers by simplifying the collection of their fresh produce just after harvest, conduct preliminary selection on the field, and ensure timely transport to the market. The aggregation units will be built in Catandica village and Inhazónia locality, two (2) areas with a higher concentration of CFB members. The selection of these sites was done in collaboration with our members, based on criteria such as proximity to production areas and ease of access.

To ensure the success of the pilot phase on using digital platforms for capacity building, the project provided the cooperative with 60 smartphones for its members and 1 laptop for data management. In addition, comprehensive training on the use of Kuwaka app and CFB data collection tool was delivered by the team from Step Innovations Africa, a company specialized in digital solutions for the agriculture and education sectors. This initiative is an important milestone for the cooperative, as it improves access to technical information for cooperative members and ensures that key data on production, harvest, and marketing is available to the cooperative and its partners.

As part of the MAIS VALOR project, the Cooperativa Frutas de Báruè received two trucks with capacities of 3.5 tons and 6.5 tons, respectively. The trucks will help reduce the cooperative's operating costs, especially in litchi marketing, and provide more flexibility in transporting the cooperative’s produce to the market. The handover ceremony took place on November 20 in Catandica, Báruè, and was honored by the presence of Her Excellency, the Governor of Manica Province, Francisca Domingos Tomás. The event also included the participation of the AICS (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation) representative and other development partners. In addition to the trucks, four (4) motorcycles were delivered: two (2) for the SDAE in Vanduzi District and two (2) for the SDAE in Báruè District. Similar to the trucks, the motorcycles were acquired as part of the MAIS VALOR project’s efforts in Manica to strengthen logistics for both litchi producers and extension workers.

In partnership with the Mais Valor Project, the Cooperativa Frutas de Báruè has been promoting agricultural diversification among its members. As part of this effort, the cooperative has started introducing avocado cultivation. To support this initiative, the project Mais Valor provided and distributed 2,000 avocado seedlings, encouraging the production of a fruit with strong export potential. This agricultural product diversification is expected to increase the income of cooperative members.

A digital training platform called WAZO was tested with members of the Cooperativa Frutas de Báruè (CFB). In the first phase, a group of extension officers from Báruè (SDAE Báruè) and CFB focal points in various localities of the district were selected and trained by a company specializing in digital services (STEP Innovations Africa) and by the UNIDO team on how to use WAZO. Following the training, this group provided technical support to farmers during the pilot phase, using WAZO to deliver training on good agricultural practices for litchi cultivation.

In collaboration with the private sector in Manica Province—particularly AAU Technical Lda (and PRODUSOLA, Agrivisão, among others)—the Mais Valor project implemented a Commercial Horticulture Training Program in Chimoio and Báruè. The program benefited extension workers, private companies, final-year students from ISPM, and members of the Cooperativa Frutas de Báruè. Developed in partnership with ISPM, the program includes five (5) training modules covering: Establishment and Management of a Commercial Nursery for Fruit and Vegetable Seedlings (Module 1); Commercial Production of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (Module 2); Post-Harvest Handling of Fruits and Vegetables (Module 3); Processing and Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables (Module 4); Analysis and Management of Agricultural Value Chains (Module 5). The project also trained Westfalia staff in Good Manufacturing Practices and Certification for the Food Industry. Westfalia plays a key role in helping the cooperative access export markets.

The Mais Valor Project, in collaboration with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the Embassy of Italy in Mozambique, supported the participation of the Mozambican delegation at the MACFRUT Fair. MACFRUT is one of the leading international trade fairs for the fruit and vegetable sector. The delegation included four (4) agribusiness companies and one representative from ISPM – Instituto Superior Politécnico de Manica. A member of the cooperative's board was part of the group that attended the fair, which took place in Rimini, Italy, on May 4th, 5th, and 6th, 2022. Participation in MACFRUT was a major opportunity for the cooperative to connect with international agribusiness companies, buyers, investors, and potential commercial partners.