Tobacco industry production in the country increased by 8.8 per cent until September 2024, reaching a total of 4.5 billion meticals (71 million dollars), according to official figures released by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), as reported by Lusa.
This positive performance compares to the same period in 2023, when the sector reached 4.2 billion meticals. The growth reflects significant progress towards the annual target of 7.6 billion meticals projected by the government for the tobacco industry in 2024.
The industry’s main products include filter cigarettes, homogenised or reconstituted tobacco and pipe tobacco. According to historical data, in 2023 the sector grew by 23 per cent compared to 2022, reaching 4.5 billion meticals.
Despite the recent expansion, tobacco cultivation has faced challenges. During the 2022-23 agricultural year, national production totalled 65,856 tonnes, down 15% on the previous year.
For the 2023-24 campaign, the government plans production of 81,223 tonnes on a cultivated area of 129,321 hectares, showing optimism for a recovery.
Mozambique maintains a prominent global position in tobacco production, ranking third in the African region in terms of cultivated area, behind only Zimbabwe and Malawi, according to reports by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
