Matanuska Moçambique exports 1,400 tons of bananas a day

The amount of bananas produced by Matanuska Moçambique in the Monapo district of Mozambique’s Nampula province has reached a level that guarantees the viability of the company, said John Albert, chairman of the foreign-owned company. According to daily newspaper Notícias, Matanuska Moçambique exports around 1,400 tons of bananas a day to some countries in Europe, Africa and Asia, such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab emirates and Iraq. However, Albert said he was disappointed that there was no specific agreement between the governments of Mozambique and China, adding that if the company was able to export to the Chinese market it would make significant financial gains that could be used for investment in agriculture and processing.

“Chinese companies interested in buying bananas produced by our company require that the deal is done based on a specific agreement that needs to be signed by the Mozambican and Chinese governments,” said Albert. Matanuska has invested around US$50 million in Monapo since 2008 in an estimated area of 1,400 hectares, which will increase to the full 3,000 hectares provided by the Mozambican government. In March 2008 US group Chiquita Brands International announced a strategic partnership for exporting Angolan bananas to Europe with Escom of Portuguese banking group Espírito Santo, and for exporting Mozambican bananas to Europe with Matanuska Africa.

Source: www.macauhub.com.mo