Cashew nuts have emerged in recent years as a promising commodity on the global market. Today it is considered an important crop for Mozambique’s economy, and a source of income for more than a million producer families.
Nampula province, in the northern region, is one of the largest cashew nut producers and processors in the country, a sector that also employs more than 8,000 people. In this sense, the authorities consider it fundamental to revitalise production in order to achieve positive results in the long term.
Quoted by Agência de Informação de Moçambique , the Mozambique Almond Institute (IAM) said that it expects to export more than 160,000 tonnes of cashew nuts this year, exceeding the target of 152,000 tonnes previously estimated by the Executive.
The director-general of the IAM, Ilídio Bande, argued that the quantity will bring significant gains to producers, traders and exporters, since the reference price in the current campaign is 45 meticals per kilogramme, compared to 35 meticals in the previous campaign.
‘We’ve seen good progress and we’re sure we’ll exceed the 160,000 tonne mark. The country has great potential, we’ve adopted new production dynamics, which makes us believe that we’ll reach new heights.’
Despite the encouraging aspects, Bande emphasised that there are still challenges related to improving the quality of Mozambican almonds, infrastructure, climate change and financing.
Last year, Mozambique and China signed an agreement allowing the export of new Mozambican agricultural products without customs duties. The new products covered by the agreement are macadamia nuts, pigeon peas and cashew nuts, which can be exported to the Chinese market without tariffs, reinforcing the opportunities for Mozambican agricultural producers.
The agreement, valid for three years and automatically renewed, was initialled by Mozambique’s ambassador to China, Maria Gustavo, and the Chinese ambassador to Mozambique, Wang Hejun.
