On 18 September 2026, H.E. Mr. Bancha Yuenyongchongcharoen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Republic of Mozambique, presided over the closing and equipment handover ceremony of the Thailand–Mozambique Seafood Processing Incubator in Vilankulo, Inhambane Province, Mozambique.

 

The project aims to strengthen skills in seafood processing, promote value addition, and create economic opportunities for local communities. It is one of the development cooperation initiatives between Thailand and Mozambique under the Government of Thailand’s Thailand–Africa Initiative, which places emphasis on practical and sustainable development outcomes.

 

The ceremony also featured remarks by Lt. Sorawud Preededilok, Minister of the Royal Thai Embassy in Helsinki attached to the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), Mr. Gil Inguane, Permanent Secretary of Vilankulo District, Prof. Dr. Izidro Justino Muhale, Director of the Higher School of Rural Development (ESUDER), and Mr. David Almeida Júlio, representative of the Institute for the Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises (IPEME, IP).

From 14–17 September 2026, the Royal Thai Embassy in Maputo organised a training programme on seafood processing and value addition, with 38 participants, including students in agriculture and fisheries, fishermen, SME entrepreneurs, and relevant Mozambican officials.

Experts from Thailand’s National Food Institute provided training on the selection and handling of raw materials, food processing and preservation, food safety, product development, and techniques to increase the value of locally available marine resources.

During the ceremony, Ambassador Bancha handed over equipment for training and project implementation, including three solar drying machines manufactured and imported from Thailand, freezing equipment, and a comprehensive range of seafood processing equipment. The equipment was presented to the Higher School of Rural Development (ESUDER) for use as a centre for training, product development, and the continuous transfer of knowledge to local communities.

 

Ambassador Bancha also proposed that ESUDER explore cooperation with local metalworkers or technical schools to locally reproduce the solar drying machines by adapting their design to locally available materials. The aim would be to make the equipment available to fishermen in Vilankulo at an affordable price, either through distribution or local sale, so that families could use the dryers in their daily livelihoods.

 

The solar dryers are equipped with protective covers that help maintain hygiene and food safety standards during the drying process. They can also help increase the value of seafood and agricultural products that remain unsold in fresh form, such as bananas, which can be processed into dried products with greater commercial value.

The project is implemented through cooperation among the Royal Thai Embassy in Maputo, the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), Mozambique’s Institute for the Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises (IPEME, IP), and ESUDER. TICA plays an important role in providing technical knowledge and mobilising Thai experts to share experience and technologies that can be appropriately adapted to Mozambique’s local context, needs, and resources.

 

The project also receives support from PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP), a Thai company participating in the Area 1 LNG project in Cabo Delgado Province, a major international-scale energy investment. This support reflects cooperation between Thailand’s public and private sectors in promoting skills development, job creation, and value addition to local resources, while contributing to sustainable development in Mozambique. In the future, it is hoped that this project can also be expanded to Cabo Delgado Province.

 

Ambassador Bancha emphasised that the project represents the beginning of a long-term partnership between Thailand and Mozambique. Thailand stands ready to consider further cooperation in product development, packaging, branding and marketing, as well as the processing of other agricultural products.

Such cooperation can help generate income and employment, create new business opportunities, and strengthen local entrepreneurs and communities in Mozambique.