Mozambique launches e-Phyto system to automate license issuance for plant product exports and boost market competitiveness

By Monica MUEMA

The Government of Mozambique, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP), has officially launched a national electronic phytosanitary certification system—e-Phyto—to modernise agricultural trade, reduce export and import delays, and align with international standards.

The system was developed with technical support from TradeMark Africa (TMA) and with funding from
the Governments of Ireland and the Netherlands.

The ePhyto replaces the manual, paper-based certification process and will significantly lower transaction costs, reduce processing times, and improve compliance with global phytosanitary requirements.

Agriculture remains the heartbeat of Mozambique’s economy, contributing 24.3% of GDP in 2023,
according to the World Bank.

Exporters of commodities such as bananas, mangos, lychees, cashew nuts, seeds, seedlings, and biological control agents, among others, were previously required to submit hardcopy applications at the headquarters of the National Directorate of Agricultural Health and Biosafety (DNSAB) or at any of its 41 regional offices across the country.

This involved multiple office  visits, bank trips for payments, repeated follow-ups, and long waits for approvals.

The new e-Phyto system now provides a fully paperless process, covering application submission,
online payment, document review, inspection scheduling, approval, and digital certificate issuance. It
is expected to reduce average processing time to a day.

In his address, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries in Mozambique, Hon. Roberto Mito
Albino, said the system marks a long-overdue but critical step in transforming the country’s trade and
agricultural certification processes.

“The manual certification process inefficient, time-consuming, and prone to errors or fraud. This exerted heavys cost and eroded the trust in the certification process, undermining Mozambique’s ability to compete in regional and global markets.

The e-Phyto system will now enhance predictability and accessibility, especially for smallholder exporters and SMEs even in remote areas to benefit from timely and efficient services,” the Minister said.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Acubar Baptista, who
also gave an address, noted; “This is decisive and important step forward for Mozambique’s
agricultural trade.

With the process now being as simple as lodging an application online, paying the necessary fees, and tracking approvals from the comfort of one’s home or office, the days traders or their agents made countless physical visits just to obtain the certification are now behind us”.

During the purely manual-based process, it took on average 12 days from application, inspection and
issuance of the certificate days.

Furthermore, the absence of automation increased the risk of administrative errors, significantly slowed down trade flows and could potentially create loopholes for issuance of fraudulent certificates to unsuspecting traders and mistrust.

With the ePhyto system now in operation, it will take just 2-3 days, combining smart inspection with system-based processes, including digital payment, for the certificate to be issued.

“This is a game-changer—not only in its practical effect but in the shift it reflects. The old system was
no longer tenable in a modern, fast-paced trading environment.

The ability for applicants to submit, pay and track certificate requests online—from the comfort of their offices or homes—represents a meaningful shift for the sector,” TradeMark Africa’s Senior Director for Trade Environment, Mark Priestley, said.

After deployment, the ePhyto system will be available to all traders in any part of the country.

It will be integrated with the Mozambique Electronic Single Window for streamlined data sharing across
government agencies and with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) e-Phyto Hub,
enabling the secure international exchange of phytosanitary certificates.

“This will allow Mozambique to exchange certificates securely with trading partners around the world, reducing the risk of fraud and improving the reliability of plant health documentation,” Mr. Priestely noted.