Publication: The Cashew Value Chain in Mozambique
Date
2019-06
ISSN
Published
2019-06
Author(s)
Costa, Carlos
Delgado, Christopher
Abstract
Mozambique has a low average yield of
raw cashew nut (RCN) of 3 kg/tree. The latest census of
agriculture in 2015 estimated that 1.33 million households
owned cashew trees. Another 30,000 households were involved
post-harvest. One-half of RCN production sold was processed
in 2015, up from 1/3 in 2008. A large share of cashew
exports are raw nuts, mostly “informal” (no tax). In 2017,
national production was only two-thirds of 1972, when
Mozambique was the world leader in cashew exports. An export
tax was imposed on RCN exports in 2001, currently 18 percent
of the F.O.B. price, to promote domestic processing. Key
challenges for production include replacing aging trees with
improved root-stock and stepped-up anti-fungal spraying.
Industrial processing now comprises 15 factories employing
17,000 workers, 57 percent of whom are women. Main
recommendations are: a multi-stakeholder Platform to
periodically review cashew developments; smallholder
participation in producer organizations; privatization of
seedlings distribution and tree-spraying without subsidies;
public and private commercial infrastructure (warehouses,
transportation, access roads); accessible international
market and technical information; using cashew shells to
generate energy; using cashew apple to produce packaged
fermented beverages; and a cross-Ministry push on food
safety protocols for cashew.
Citation
“Costa, Carlos; Delgado, Christopher. 2019. The Cashew Value Chain in Mozambique; The Cashew Value Chain in Mozambique. Jobs Working Paper;No. 32. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/31863 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”