Mozambique raises cashew reference price and targets smuggling

Mozambique has announced a 6.67% increase in the cashew reference price for the 2026-27 marketing campaign. The new price is set at 48 meticais per kilogram, up from the previous 45 meticais per kilogram.

Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Minister Roberto Albino also stated that the cashew overvaluation rate will rise from 18% to 22% for the current campaign.

In response to significant economic losses, the Minister called for a crackdown on cashew smuggling. Data from the Kernel Institute indicates that approximately 35,000 tonnes of cashews were illegally exported over the last three years, resulting in estimated losses of 457 million meticais. Albino advocated for the criminalization of smuggling, characterizing it as theft from public funds rather than a mere administrative infraction, noting that undeclared exports to countries like India and Vietnam have negatively impacted foreign-exchange inflows.