Cashew sub-sector growing 14% in 2021

Cashew nut production in Mozambique took a giant leap last year. According to the National Institute of Almonds and Oilseeds, the cashew sub-sector grew 14% compared to the previous year and the producing families had an overall income of 89 million dollars.

Overall, the institution refers through the statement that the Almonds subsector in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Agriculture stands at about 23%.

Also in the same campaign the data presented show that about 3.8 million seedlings were planted, whose production will begin in 2024, contributing about 1.5 kg per cashew, reaching in the 7˚year between 10 and 12 kg/cashew.

The document also states that as part of the expansion, new plantings have been made in the semi-arid areas of Manica Province. The almond value chain in Mozambique involves 1.4 million Mozambican families, 47 companies and employs 14,960 workers.

The current turnover is about $220 million per year, and is expected to reach about $500 million per year by 2030. One relevant fact, according to the balance presented a few days ago, points to greater benefits for family producers.

In fact, the average prices to the producer went from 19.00 MT/kg to 39.00 MT/kg, in the previous campaign, which sold 146,690 tons, with exports earning 111.6 million dollars, even with the increase in shipping costs by 82% and shortage of ships and containers in port areas influenced by the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Note that there are currently 10 cashew nut processing plants in the country. The global production of cashew nuts in the year 2021 was about 3 900 000 tons, where Ivory Coast remained the leader in production with 970 000 tons.

At the international level it is expected that for the current year, the cashew variety could generate revenues of about 5 billion dollars and a growth of 11% in global production of cashew nuts.