Mozambique expects to raise around 2 billion meticals (30.7 million dollars) from the export of macadamia nuts in the current agricultural campaign, which involves the provinces of Maputo and Niassa. The announcement was made on Wednesday 19 March by the director of Central Services for Almond Production and Development, Feliza Macome.
The official, quoted by Lusa, emphasised the good prospects for macadamia cultivation in the two provinces, pointing to ‘very interesting’ experiences in both regions. Macadamia cultivation, which has been increasingly sought after by national entrepreneurs, is one of the main sources of income in the agricultural sector.
‘The macadamia is a crop in which we already see a strong involvement of national entrepreneurs. We have very interesting experiences in the provinces of Maputo and Niassa,’ she said, noting that the country expects to export more than 6,000 tonnes of the product from these two provinces, which represent the south and north of the country, in this agricultural season (2024-2025).
Macome added that the aim is to increase the number of national producers involved in growing, processing and exporting macadamia nuts, with the aim of boosting domestic production and export revenues. ‘The idea is to bring in more national producers to grow, process and export the fruit,’ she concluded, speaking to journalists.
In the previous agricultural season, Mozambique produced around 5,000 tonnes of macadamia nuts, according to government figures. These figures reflect the growing importance of the macadamia as a high-yield crop in the country.
In terms of revenue, the National Almond Institute reported that macadamia exports generated estimated revenue of 27 million dollars (approximately 1.6 billion meticals), with an average price of 3.7 dollars per kilogramme. The international market has shown great demand for this product, contributing significantly to the increase in the country’s agricultural exports.
In addition, AgDevCo, a British company, announced an investment of 10 million dollars (600 million meticals) in the national company Dowson, which operates in Manica province. Dowson is a farm created by South African farmers and specialises in avocado and macadamia production. The investment will allow the company to expand its production to 1,000 hectares over the next five years, covering both macadamia and avocado.
According to the information released, Dowson has so far planted 270 hectares of macadamias and 174 hectares of avocados, all under irrigation. AgDevCo emphasises that the ideal growing conditions in the Sussundenga region, where the company is located, are a crucial factor in the success of this agricultural project.
With the expansion of macadamia production, Mozambique is committed to diversifying its agricultural base and increasing exports, positioning itself as one of the main suppliers of macadamia nuts on the international market.
