Norwegian development organisation Norges Vel is to assess the feasibility of a safe groundnut processing and export platform in northern Mozambique, with the aim of increasing value added in production and facilitating access to new markets, according to Lusa.
The initiative forms part of the Growing Resilience programme and seeks to determine whether the commercial, operational, and regulatory conditions exist to develop a groundnut value chain oriented towards higher-value domestic markets and exports. The project envisages the use of raw material with low levels of aflatoxin contamination.
According to the project’s terms of reference, Mozambique’s groundnut sector has ‘significant but underdeveloped commercial potential’. Production represents an important source of income for smallholder farmers, but remains characterised by informality, limited processing capacity, and weaknesses in quality control and traceability.
The document also points to limited production aggregation, insufficient storage and processing infrastructure, and shortcomings in compliance with food safety requirements as factors that hinder access to more demanding, higher-value markets.
To assess this opportunity, Norges Vel has launched a consultancy procurement process. The study is expected to analyse the commercial viability of a processing platform for export in Nampula province or the Nacala Corridor region. The facility could include shelling, cleaning, mechanical and optical sorting, grading, batch segregation, laboratory testing, traceability systems, and export packaging.
The organisation notes, however, that the proposed location and configuration represent only a working hypothesis. It will be for the study to determine whether these options — including an initial estimated capacity of between 5,000 and 10,000 tonnes per year — are the most viable from a commercial and operational standpoint.
The assessment is also expected to cover the availability and reliability of raw material supply, access to certified seeds, storage, transport and certification systems, as well as the regulatory and institutional constraints affecting the competitiveness of the value chain.
Among the study’s objectives is the identification of investment opportunities in aggregation, storage, processing, logistics, laboratory services, and exports — including financing requirements, operating costs, risks, and potential partners. The study will focus primarily on the provinces of Nampula, Niassa, and Zambézia.
The analysis is also to examine domestic, regional, and international demand for Mozambican groundnuts, as well as buyer requirements regarding quality, traceability, and food safety. The objective is to determine whether a commercially viable platform could secure regular flows of safe groundnuts to those markets while simultaneously improving income opportunities for smallholder producers.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/18/negocios/agronegocios/organizacao-norueguesa-de-desenvolvimento-estuda-plataforma-de-exportacao-de-amendoim/
