The macadamia, Mozambique’s trendy new nut

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

The macadamia, Mozambique’s trendy new nut

3:07 CAT | 25 Jan 2017

It’s tasty, has a high nutritional value and is also used in cosmetics. In Niassa, in the north of the country, foreign investors are betting heavily on its culture while the province regards it with great anticipation.

Niassa province’s mild climate is proving ideal for growing macadamia nuts, and a group of Dutch and South African investors who constitute Macadâmia Niassa Lda. have invested more than US$20 million in its future. In all, there are more than five thousand hectares under macadamia cultivation.

“Macadamia is something new for Lichinga [the provincial capital]. This project is only going to start producing in 10 to 20 years. It’s a heavy investment, where you have to invest at the beginning and wait 10 years for any return,” says Izar Holtzhausen, managing director of the company.

default — Macadamia plantations in Niassa province, northern Mozambique

The company employs 110 Mozambican workers. The goal is to produce 20,000 tons of macadamia in the next 15 years and export around 1,000 containers of the nut to the international market.

The macadamia nut is becoming increasingly well known. “Macadamia is now known across the world as a ‘super food’, good for people’s health, and is used in oils, butters and so on. All of the macadamia is used for well-being, with the oils [used] for cosmetics,” explains Holtzhausen.

Niassa could become one of the world’s leading producers

“In the next 30 to 40 years, macadamia will be in great demand and we want to establish a great source of macadamia here in Mozambique,” Holtzhausen adds. He wants Niassa province to join the world’s biggest producers, currently headed by Australia, followed by South Africa and Kenya.

The governor of Niassa is happy to host the project. “This is very significant for our province because it will naturally occupy the place it should – because we have excellent conditions for the production of this nut,” Arlindo Chilundo argues.

In Niassa, macadamia is being grown mainly in Chimbunila district, and also in Lichinga and Majune.

According to Chilundo, the northern province needs more such investments “to emerge from anonymity”.

Source: Deutsche Welle