MAPUTO, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Mozambique's Ministry of Agriculture announced on Monday in Maputo that the country has reduced the number of people vulnerable to food insecurity from 50 percent to 24 percent in the last ten years despite the challenges that the country continues facing in this sector.

"Mozambique has taken significant steps in reducing the prevalence of population vulnerable to food insecurity, from 50 percent to 24 percent in the last 10 years, however we are aware that more needs to be done," said the Minister of Agriculture Higino de Marrule in a roundtable meeting.

"Despite this progress there are still challenges related to access to nutritious food and resilience to climate shocks that have huge impact on food production at both local and international levels," added the minister.

To continue improving the country's levels of food security, the minister informed that the government has been promoting policies oriented to rural areas in order to boost the role of women in particular and farmers in general.