Maputo, Sept. 25, 2026 (Lusa) - Mozambique's exports of raw cashew nuts generated €70.9 million in the first half of the year, remaining the country's leading agricultural export despite a 17.7% decline compared with the same period in 2025.
According to performance data for the first half of 2026 from the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Mozambique exported agricultural products worth a total of $108.5 million (€92.8 million), representing a 5% increase compared with the $103.2 million (€88.3 million) recorded in the same period of 2025.
Raw cashew nuts accounted for more than three-quarters of agricultural export revenue, generating $82.9 million (€70.9 million), despite a decline from the $100.7 million (€86.1 million) recorded in the first half of 2025.
In terms of volume, exports of raw cashew nuts fell from 74,664 tonnes in the first half of 2025 to 73,391 tonnes in the first six months of this year.
Vietnam and India remained the main destinations for Mozambican cashew nuts this year, followed by South Africa.
Macadamia nuts were the second most important agricultural export, generating $19 million (€16.2 million), with Vietnam and China emerging as the main buyer markets.
The report also highlights sesame exports worth $16.8 million (€14.4 million), destined mainly for China, and soya bean exports, which generated $4.6 million (€3.9 million).
Meanwhile, cotton fibre exports almost doubled in value, rising from $2.5 million (€2.1 million) to $4.2 million (€3.6 million), with Bangladesh, Dubai and Switzerland among the main destinations.
About a month ago, the Mozambican government approved new regulations for the cashew value chain, implementing the Cashew Act of 2023 and repealing the regime in force since 2018. According to the government, the new regulations set out specific rules for the cultivation, production, drying, packaging, storage, marketing, transport, processing, export and import of cashews, with a view to harmonising and updating the sector's entire legal framework.
The Government maintains that this regulatory review is necessary to address the current challenges facing the sector and to strengthen national competitiveness in an increasingly demanding international market.
«The proposed regulation is relevant and crucial for strengthening the competitiveness of the cashew value chain in its entirety and of the country in the global cashew market,» said the government at the time of the regulation's approval on 4 August.
Strengthening the competitiveness of cashew cultivation is also included in the 2025–2034 Cashew Value Chain Development Programme, valued at $374 million (€320 million), which aims to increase annual production from the current 158,000 tonnes to 689,000 tonnes by 2034.
The defined targets include increasing the number of supported producers from around 230,000 to over 600,000, expanding processing capacity from 40,000 to over 482,000 tonnes, and further digitising the sector.
Data previously released by the Ministry of Agriculture indicate that cashew nut sales in the 2024/2025 marketing year reached approximately 195,400 tonnes, approaching the historic levels recorded during the colonial period.
In 1973, Mozambique ranked second in the world for processed cashew production, with around 210,000 tonnes, behind only India. Following independence in 1975, production fell to around 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes per year, but has gradually recovered in recent decades.
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