In 2021, exports of bananas from the southern Mozambican province of Maputo have reached 223.603 tons. This is 80 percent of the total of 279,504 tons produced that year.
According to Mariamo José, head of the provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries of Maputo, since the beginning of the year 2000, Maputo province benefitted from large investments for fruit production, which now account for a significant portion of Mozambique exports, particularly bananas.
The 279,000 tons of bananas, according to José, were produced over an area covering 5,300 hectares. Of these, 4,719 hectares are being explored by private commercial companies, the rest by smaller producers.
“The most important exports markets are South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini which generate large foreign exchange earnings for the Mozambican economy. Those bananas are exported to South Africa and then shipped to Asian and European markets. The remaining 20 per cent are sold in the domestic market”, she added.
Bananas account for 3.9 percent of the overall agricultural production in Maputo province.
Source: clubofmozambique.com