Pigeon pea crisis: appeal to Nyusi to unblock exports!

The president of the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA), Agostinho Vuma, has called for the direct intervention of the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, to resolve the problems affecting the export of pigeon peas, a key agricultural product for the country's economy. This appeal comes amid difficulties relating to the issuing of the phytosanitary certificate, which is essential for the international sale of this product.

For months, Mozambican businesspeople have faced significant barriers to exporting pigeon peas, especially to the Indian market. Agostinho Vuma, speaking at the opening of the CTA's Economic Briefing, warned of the possibility of a reduction of up to 20% in agricultural exports this year if this situation persists.

Vuma also highlighted the issue of export quotas imposed on businesspeople, which can result in surplus stock in warehouses, leading to considerable losses. The CTA stresses that the blockage on pigeon pea exports not only directly harms family farmers and the intermediaries involved in buying and selling the product, but also threatens the export of other agricultural products, such as cashew nuts, since both share storage infrastructure.

In addition, the CTA expressed concern about the recent introduction of the Conformity Assessment Certificate fee for imported products, implemented by Interrek. According to Vuma, this fee represents a significant additional cost for businesspeople, with negative impacts on the economy. He urged the Government to reconsider this measure, comparing it to a kind of parallel customs tariff.

As regards the Business Robustness Index, the CTA recorded a slight increase of one percentage point, from 28% to 29%. This increase is interpreted as a reflection of the challenges that the Mozambican economy and businesses face, in both the international and domestic contexts.

This appeal by Agostinho Vuma for President Nyusi's intervention is a clear indication of the importance of the agricultural sector to Mozambique's economy and of the urgent need to resolve these obstacles in order to ensure the continuity and growth of the country's international trade.