Maputo — The Mozambican company Moz Avos Ltd will plant 150 hectares of avocado trees over the next two years, in preparation for exporting fruit to the South African market.

Moz Avos is currently constructing a nursery, which by April next year will hold up to 70,000 seedlings.

Planting will begin in February. By the end of 2016, the avocado orchards will cover 200 hectares.

The orchards will be in Sussundenga district in the central province of Manica. The area is conducive to avocado production as it has abundant water and a sub-tropical climate.

According to the company's chief executive officer, Howard Blight, five varieties have been trialled. After three years, the company harvested the first fruit. It found that some of the cultivars had fruit ready to be picked a month before orchards in South Africa, offering a competitive advantage.

The project is part financed by the Private Sector Investment (PSI) programme of the Dutch government.