It is no secret that Agriculture is high in the agenda of Mozambique, particularly as the country prepares itself to try and establish economic sustainability during the upcoming development of its oil and gas industry.
A number of initiatives have begun to flourish and the government has demonstrated a strong will to support local agriculture. One such example is Niassa-based Dream Agro Business, a Mozambican-owned company that as well as cultivating soybeans, black beans, butter beans and corn, is also helping local communities to better establish themselves through their consultancy services. As per their mission statement, social responsibility is part of the company’s DNA.
Last October, after careful evaluation of the concept and its business plan, BNI Bank, Mozambique’s investment and development bank, decided to finance the project.
BNI’s financing served as a springboard for launching Dream Agro, which within a few months became a reference in its sector, collecting awards at Mozambique’s FACIM Business Fair and at an Agri festival in Macau, China. The accolades caught the attention of Emirati investors and the company is now working on new possibilities to export part of its production in addition to service the local market.
Tomás Matola, BNI’s CEO commented, “BNI’s finance was key for the company’s growth and it is at the core of our belief that supporting young Mozambican entrepreneurs with vision and commitment is the path to create an inclusive, sustainable economic future to our country.”
In the upcoming January 30th, in an event sponsored by the IPEME (Mozambique’s SME promotion agency), Dream Agro Business will inaugurate their new office in Maputo. The event will also feature a panel with ICM, APIEX, The UAE Embassy and BNI, which will also be featuring a help desk presenting financing solutions for SMEs.