The province of Zambézia did not reach the target set for the marketing of cashew nuts last year. The target was 17,000 tons by December, but only 10,000 tons were marketed, resulting in a shortfall of 7,000 tons.
Despite this, the quantity marketed generated revenues of more than 330 million meticais. The campaign, which began in November last year, will end in February, with 7,000 tons still to be marketed to reach the planned target.
The delegate of the National Almond Institute in Zambézia, Sifa António, believes that the target will be reached due to the increase in purchase prices and the availability of the product. Currently, a kilogram of cashew nuts costs more than thirty-five meticais, unlike last year, when it was less than thirty meticais.
In Zambézia, cashew nuts are sold in twelve districts, with Mocuba, Pebane, Gilé and Mulevala standing out as the main producers. For the current season, production is expected to reach 160,000 tons, up from 157,000 tons in the previous season (2022-2023).
Of the total produced, the northern region of the country, together with Zambézia Province, contribute 120,000 tons between October and January, while other regions produce 10,000 tons from November to March. The southern region of the country expects to produce 30,000 tons between November and April.
As far as phytosanitary aspects are concerned, the forecasts indicate a good performance, especially in the North, which reached 70% flowering, 25% fruiting and 5% ripening. In the Central region, the figures were 60%, 35% and 5%, respectively, while in the South they were 60%, 35% and 5%.
Cashew nuts have stood out as a promising product on the global market. Cashew nut exports brought in US$53 million in the first six months of 2023, more than the total for 2022, making it the country’s main agricultural export, according to Lusa.
According to the Bank of Mozambique’s Annual Balance of Payments Bulletin, in 2022 the country exported US$562.3 million in agricultural products, of which US$51.7 million came from cashew nut exports. In the first quarter of 2023, exports reached US$ 50.8 million, while in the second quarter they were around US$ 2.2 million.
This performance represents the best year for cashew nut sales by Mozambique, which ranged from US$ 14.8 million in 2018 to US$ 51.7 million last year. Currently, it is estimated that more than one million Mozambican families grow and sell cashews, employing more than 8,000 people in the processing sector.
Despite the challenges in marketing, Mozambique exported US$ 181.8 million in agricultural products in the first six months of 2023, representing less than 5% of the country’s total exports, which reached almost US$ 3,715 million in the same period.
