Plans for future economic development in the liberated and
semi-liberated areas include improving the people's cultivation
techniques; intensifying commerce within and between the provinces;
export of excess produce to those neighbouring African states
which are willing to accept them; exploration for and exploitation
of timber; improvement of technique for producing local textilesa
and woodcarvings.
The people of Mozambique are great workers of iron and siloer.
We are now studying means by which these traditional arts can be
improved and expanded in such a way as to constitute a meaningful
industrial activity capable of producing enough exportable goods
to enable the people to earn convertable currency.
We have already started to prepare people who will be resonsible
for the organisation, encouragement and direction of hut industries
using local iron, silver, copper and hard-wood for the production
of simple household goods such as hoes, pangas, hatchets bedsteads,
beedles and ornamental trinkets, all of which are now being
locally produced, albeit without centralised organisation and
guidance.
The section dealing with industrial development and production
in FRELIMO has recently been studying the vatious kinds of rubber
produced in Mozambique to see which kind could be encouraged for
export. The same section has been experimenting with various
techniques of appiculture in order to improve the production of
honey which is a rich source of vitamins for the people in the
liberated areas.
During the last two yaars we have,been preoccupied with the
need to acquire convertable foreign exchange. One of the
best ways of doing this is by exporting the products of  agriculture
and domestic industry. Concerning this we are now in the process
of re-organising the traditional artists who produce works of
sculpture from carving black hardwood. The pieces of art they
produce are well known all-over the world. We hope to so organise
the sale of these piecds of Makonde art to enable our people to
profit directly from their labours.
We shall continue to build up a stronger economic base in
all the districts sihich each year fall under our control and
where the people are free to engage in productive work in agric-
culture^eetfRrnepiQej sr^ indudtry. The people of Mozambique
are working harddr now that they know that all the proceeds 66
their work will go to improving their lives and liberating
more of their country.
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