“We will maintain the reference price at 45 meticais, and we will monitor the market conditions. There is nothing to prevent this committee from meeting again to discuss setting another reference price based on market variations,” stated the Secretary of State for the Sea and Fisheries, Momade Juízo, advocating for fair incentives and remuneration for those working in the value chain to ensure the sector’s sustainability.
Juízo was speaking in Maputo during the first session of the Almonds Committee, which is held annually to establish the reference purchase price for cashew nuts from producers for each marketing campaign, in this case for 2025/2026. He pointed out financial challenges that have led to the closure of some processing units in recent years.
“The national processing industry has been facing challenges in recent years due to the macroeconomic environment,” said the official, noting that these factors “contributed to increased production costs and reduced the financial capacity of many processing companies, leading to the closure of some units due to a lack of capital and raw materials acquisition.”
Momade Juízo announced that the country is preparing to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese Government to open a new market for exporting cashew and macadamia nuts to the Asian country.
“This agreement will provide direct benefits to our producers, processors, and exporters by expanding marketing opportunities for this product,” he assured.
Cashew nut commercialization in Mozambique reached approximately 195,400 tons in the last 2024/2025 campaign, marking a historic milestone close to the record levels of the 1970s when the country was one of the world’s largest producers, according to data presented by the Secretary of State during the session.
Mozambique’s cashew exports continue to grow, reaching $38.7 million (33 million euros) in the first quarter, leading sales among the so-called “traditional products,” according to data from the Bank of Mozambique reported this month.
According to information from the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Mozambique’s cashew production reached over 200,000 tons annually 50 years ago, during the colonial period. By the mid-1970s, Mozambique was the world’s second-largest cashew producer (210,000 tons processed in 1973), behind only India, which bought much of this production at the time and still does today.
After Mozambique’s independence on June 25, 1975, production dropped to less than 10%, around 15,000 to 20,000 tons annually, but it has been growing every year. In the last 2024/2025 campaign, it emerged as a leading cashew nut producer, holding onto the seventh position.
The Mozambican Government estimates that cashew nut production, one of the country’s main cash crops, will increase by 23% this year to 218,900 tons, with the cultivation area also expanding.
According to previous data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Mozambique’s almond value chain involves about 1,047,000 families, 69 companies, and 7,287 workers nationwide. In Maputo province alone, this activity involves 32,168 families, being the main consumption center of almonds and generating numerous business opportunities.
