Maputo — Maputo, 24 Out (AIM) - Exports of bananas from the southern Mozambican province of Maputo reached 223.603 tonnes in 2021, which amount to 80 percent of the total 279,504 tonnes produced last year.

"Thanks to its geographical location, this part of the country enjoys favourable conditions for fruit production, especially bananas, mangoes, citrus, papayas and litchi", said the head of the provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries of Maputo, Mariamo José, cited by the daily paper "Notícias."

According to Mariamo José, 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 tonnes of bananas, according to José, were produced over an area covering 5,300 hectares of which 4,719 hectares are being explored by private commercial companies and the balance by small producers, mostly from the family sector.

"In Maputo province there are 22 private companies investing in banana production and the main producers are the districts of Namaacha, Moamba, Boane, Manhiça and Marracuene", she explained.

"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, according to Mariamo, account for 3.9 percent of the overall agricultural production in Maputo province, generating an average of 1.3 jobs per hectare, totalling about 6,100 direct jobs and 11,000 indirect jobs.

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