Mozambique: Exports of vegetables to September up 45%, central bank figures show

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Mozambique: Exports of vegetables to September up 45%, central bank figures show

1:28 CAT | 28 Feb 2025

File photo: RM

Mozambique’s exports of vegetables in the first nine months of 2024 were up almost 45% on a year earlier, according to data from a central bank statistical report.

According to the data, these exports to the end of September totalled $130 million (€124 million), compared to $90.2 million (e86 million) in the same period of 2023.

“This result was influenced by the return to normality of the production and disposal process for these crops, after the effects of the unfavourable weather conditions that hit the country in 2023,” notes the Bank of Mozambique document.

Bananas, another of Mozambique’s traditional export products, earned $29.4 million (€28 million) in the nine months, compared to $22.4 million (€21.4 million) a year earlier. They were essentially bought by neighbouring countries, namely South Africa.

On 11 November, Mozambique’s then minister of agriculture, Celso Correia – a new government having taken office in January – said that the outlook for the agricultural campaign was good, with rain and a projection of 5% growth in output, but stressed that “social peace” was essential in the current context of demonstrations in the wake of the contested October elections.

“It’s very important that we have social peace, because social peace allows us to produce, it allows every family that has its activity to develop and have its income not affected,” he said. “So, among all the conditions, in addition to those of the climate, financing, labour conditions, social peace is essential for us to have a smooth campaign next year.”

Correia predicted that the 2024/2025 agricultural season would see a 5% increase in production as a result of the expected rainfall, noting that the southern part of the country has already seen rainfall – the rainy season in Mozambique runs from October to April – while in the centre and north the time for sowing will be 2a little later” than usual.

“The agricultural calendar has been affected by these climate changes, but the expectation is that in the next campaign we will have good weather, which will have a positive impact on production,” he said.

With the consumer market in the south still dependent on agricultural imports from neighbouring South Africa, acknowledged admitted the need to improve Mozambique’s competitiveness in the sector.

“In order to be able to compete, [we need to] control the borders a little better, because we also have a lot of contraband, which sometimes comes in and makes competition unfair, and… we have to help producers improve quality,” he said. “The market also determines this, but it’s a gradual process.”

The minister cited the case of tomatoes: “We still don’t have enough technology to allow greenhouse production out of season and the South Africans do. So when the climate changes in Mozambique, the local supply disappears and we are left at the mercy of external supplies.”

Source: Lusa