Why did Frelimo’s communal and state-run agriculture policies upset many Mozambican farmers?

Frelimo’s agricultural policies antagonized many Mozambican farmers primarily because they conflicted with the local desire for land ownership. Following independence, many African farmers had hoped to see land returned to their families; however, the government instead implemented a system of communal, cooperative, and state-run agriculture.12

These state-led agricultural undertakings ultimately proved to be unproductive and unmanageable. By moving farmers into communal villages and emphasizing state control over markets, the government’s approach failed to meet the needs of the rural population. The resulting collapse of agricultural production, combined with the instability caused by guerrilla warfare, eventually forced the government to recognize the failure of these policies. By 1985, under pressure from international creditors, Frelimo began to shift its focus away from state ownership and toward supporting the family agricultural sector.312