Mandlakazi to build cashew processing plant

   Photo courtesy of Macao News

A private consortium is investing 225 million meticais (US$3.5 million) for the construction of a cashew nut processing plant in Guezane, Mandlakazi district, in the southern province of Gaza.

According to project owner Super Boa Farm Ltd, construction will be completed in two years and provide 200 permanent jobs. In addition, it is expected that over the next five years at least a thousand jobs will be created.

The company's executive director, Alexandre Mutemba, explained that with the initiative cashew nut production will increase and this will contribute to reducing poverty among local families and mobilising more jobs and tax contributions.

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, along with Mabote, Panda, and Funhalouro in Inhambane.

Super Boa Farm financial director, Isac Nhantumbo, says that at the beginning the project will cover an area of one thousand of the seven thousand hectares planned.

 “Currently, 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.

The first stone for the project was laid by the Secretary of State for Gaza province, Amosse Macamo, who said that Mandlakazi has high productive potential, occupying the top position at the provincial level in terms of cashew nut production. 

He also explained that 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 implementation of this initiative, about 74,550 cashew seedlings have been produced so far and planted over an area of 1,043 hectares. This number is expected to increase significantly by the end of the year.

Source AIM