Mozambique expects to export to EU markets, Asia and parts of Africa about 37,200 tons of cotton fibre, compared to 15.1 tons sent abroad in 2014, according to an official document.

Cited by daily newspaper Correio da Manhã, the document summarising the sector’s performance in 2014 estimates the country will raise about US$63 million in 2015 from cotton fibre sales, compared to just US$25.9 million in 2014, which was far below the previous forecast of US$62.7 million.

However, the newspaper said, the floods which have occurred in Mozambique since the last half of December 2014 led to a reduction of 10.9 percent of the total area given over to cotton production in the current 2015 agricultural campaign, estimated at 140,000 hectares, in addition to reducing the number of producers to 190,000 farmers, or 24 percent fewer compared to the previous crop year.

Another difficulty in reaching the intended target is related to the fall for the third consecutive year of the average price per ton of Mozambican cotton fibre in 2015, which means that it will be sold abroad at a price of US$1,700 a ton, or US$20 less than in 2014 and US$60 less than in 2013. (macauhub/MZ)