Banana exports from Mozambique plummeted in 2023 to their lowest value in six years, bringing in just US$32.3 million according to data from the Bank of Mozambique.
The figure represents a nearly 25 percent drop from banana exports of US$41.4 million in 2022, which performed similarly to 2021, and is the lowest total since 2017’s US$32.8 million.
Recovery is not expected this year. Businesses are warning of an ongoing shortage of agricultural products, including bananas, and rising prices in the coming weeks as southern Mozambique has suffered successive floods.
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Less than halfway into 2024, the revenues for the banana sector are “already highly jeopardised,” Maria Assunção Abdul, vice president of the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique, explained at a recent press conference.
The southern province of Maputo, which is home to a substantial fruit growing industry, has been hit hard by excessive rain and high winds. In addition to damage to crops, the floods have also led to the emergence of many pests.
Fruit production accounted for nearly 4 percent of the overall value of agricultural production in the province in 2021 and was one of the biggest generators of employment, generating 6,100 direct jobs and 11,000 indirect jobs.
