Mining giant BHP Billiton has committed almost $10 million to help farmers in Mozambique.

BHP pledged $US8.8 million ($A9.72 million) over five years to a new agricultural initiative to benefit smallholder farmers from three districts in Maputo Province.

“The project will work with more than 50 producer organisations that represent farmers to increase their income and business opportunities, improve production capacity through farm-level training and facilitate access to financing,” BHP said in a statement.

The miner produces aluminium, manganese and nickel at Maputo in Mozambique.