Good evening. This week giant Westfalia Fruit is in the news, with the enlargement of its local packaging capacity in Manica to export avocado to international markets. Last year they sent 3,000 tons of avocados to a variety of markets in Europe, the Middle East and South Africa, a 154% growth from the previous year.
It’s part of a trend of non-traditional agricultural products now being cultivated by Mozambican farmers with significant added value. In June, Mozambican coffee hit the news after the country joined the London-based International Coffee Organization. Production is still at a very low level – 150 tonnes per year – but producers are paid between $3,165 and $4,747 per tonne, a world away from the price they can get for maize, cassava, sugar cane or cotton.
