Cashew nuts crack export market

Mozambique has started

exporting significant volumes

of cashew nuts for the first time in a

number of years.

“This has been a good cashew nut

season. Usually the crop is exported

by mid-March, but this year we were

still handling containers of cashews

into April,” says Carolyn Kathewera,

Safmarine’s Mozambique sales and

country representative.

Development of the Mozambican

cashew nut industry is being

supported by MozaCajú, a threeyear

United States Department

of Agriculture (USDA)-funded

initiative.

According to MozaCajú, more than

40% of Mozambican farmers – over

one million households – grow and

sell cashew, and the processing sector

provides formal employment to more

than 8 000 individuals.

It is not only cashew nut exports

that are increasing.

This year, for example, there has

been a “bumper” crop of pigeon peas

from northern Mozambique and

Malawi.

But, exporters are scrambling

for new markets after the Indian

government put a 200 000 ton cap

on pigeon pea imports in order to

support local farmers.

Exports of other products such as

soya and sesame seeds have, however,

not been affected and are up on last

year, according to Kathewera.

Safmarine is working with local

shippers to help them to package and

ship their produce.

An example is the supply of craft

paper to sesame seed exporters.

The line is also working with

farmers exporting products

such as avocados and pineapples

which need reefers or controlled

atmosphere containers.

“There are some very exciting

developments, both in Mozambique

and in

neighbouring

Mpumalanga,”

she says.