Together, these factories employ nearly 11,000 people, offering opportunities for stable wage employment in areas where few such opportunities exist.Īll processing factories in Mozambique employ either manual or semi-mechanized processing models. Read more about MozaCaj ú' s production activitiesĬashew Processing Mozambique has 20 cashew processing facilities, located primarily in rural communities. Production is now being revitalized, however, through new planting initiatives and distribution of seedlings, as well as farmer extension programs and improved input delivery systems. As a result, yearly yields in the country's cashew producing regions have been well below their potential. Since the civil war ended in 1992 and Cyclone Naida destroyed 40% of plantation areas in 1994, very few new trees have been planted to replace those that were destroyed or had outlived their productive lifespan. Over the past few years, one of the greatest challenges for Mozambique's cashew industry has been declining productivity of the country's cashew trees. In 2013, total production of raw cashew nut was 64,000 metric tons, making Mozambique the second largest cashew producer in East and Southern Africa, and the 8th largest producer globally. During the harvest, which occurs from October to February in Mozambique, the average cashew farmer produces about 100 kilograms of raw nut for sale to nearby processing facilities. Smallholder cashew producers typically manage small farms with 10 to 20 cashew trees mixed with other crops. As one of only a few reliable cash crops that farmers can grow, cashew production is the economic backbone of thousands of communities throughout the country. At these rates, cashew production is a business opportunity for smallholder farmers that lasts for generations.Ĭashew production is the main source of income for close to 1.4 million rural producers in Mozambique.
With the proper attention and care of the trees, average yields can be 11 kilograms of raw cashew nut per year, and the productive lifespan of a tree can reach upwards of 50 years. Mozambique has more than 32 million cashew trees, and nearly 70% are located in the country's "cashew belt" that cuts across the northern provinces of Nampula, Zambezia, and Cabo Delgado. Cashew Production The sandy soils and temperate climate of northern Mozambique create the perfect growing conditions for cashew trees.