A consortium of private funds is investing 225 million meticais (about US$3.5 million) to build a cashew nut processing plant, in Guezane, Mandlakazi district, in the southern Mozambican province of Gaza.
According to owner Super Boa Farm, construction works will be completed in two years, providing 200 permanent jobs. It is expected that at least 1,000 jobs will be created over the next five years, when fully operational.
The Secretary of State in Gaza, Amosse Macamo, laid the first stone for the construction of the factory.
The company’s executive director, Alexandre Mutemba said that in the first phase, the initiative will directly involve over 500 people and, indirectly, about 1,200 families, mainly small producers of the districts of Mandlakazi and Chibuto, both in Gaza; Mabote, Panda and Funhalouro in Inhambane.
Super Boa Farm’s financial director, Isac Nhantumbo, said that starting the project will cover 1,000 of the 7,000 hectares planned.
“At this moment, we have about 600 cashew seedlings planted since the beginning of the preparatory activity in April. Once it starts operating, the factory will process cashew nuts, as well as produce spirits, biodiesel and charcoal,” he added.
Mandlakazi has a high productive potential, occupying the top position at the provincial level, in terms of cashew nut production.
Gaza province is promoting the production of cashew nuts through the initiative “One family – 100 cashew trees”, which includes the creation of polyclonal fields and nurseries to ensure the multiplication and distribution of seedlings.”
As a result of the initiative, about 74,550 cashew seedlings have been produced so far and planted over an area of 1,043 hectares.
“During the first semester of this year we sold about 6,000 tonnes of cashew nuts, from the 14,000 initially planned,” said Macamo.
