Mozambique is seeking to turn cassava from a crop long associated with subsistence farming into an export commodity, with China emerging as a potential new market. The country is preparing to scale up cassava production and processing after Chinese corporate group LongRun Agri signalled its intention to absorb a portion of national output, creating an opportunity for smallholder farmers to gain access to a structured export market.
The initiative stems from a memorandum of understanding signed on 1 October 2026 in Maputo between the Chamber of Commerce of Mozambique and LongRun. The agreement provides for the mobilisation of smallholders, development of the cassava value chain, and the creation of conditions for processing and commercialising the commodity.
A representative of the Chinese group said the initial target is to reach an export volume of one million cases of cassava, without specifying a timeframe. LongRun Group Chief Executive Officer Jasmine Lin said the crop’s potential extends beyond human consumption, with applications in industrial manufacturing and animal feed. “I want the origin of Mozambique, cassava, to be the dough of the whole world,” stated Lin.
She added that she intends to make available to Mozambican producers technical knowledge and technologies acquired through her family’s extensive experience in the agricultural sector, noting that the group has identified cassava varieties in Mozambique with favourable characteristics for large scale production. The Chinese group observed strong potential in Gaza province, in southern Mozambique, as well as other regions of the country, to develop an export oriented value chain.
President of the Chamber of Commerce of Mozambique Lucas Chachine said the existence of a guaranteed market for cassava could incentivise smallholder farmers to expand their cultivation areas, given that they will begin producing not merely for subsistence, but to generate income. “Producers will know that the limit is no longer just direct consumption; they now have a market where they can generate income,” explained Chachine. He added that the project could contribute to improving household living conditions and energising local economies.
The initiative also foresees connecting investors directly to producers and establishing conditions to facilitate investment, promote technology transfer and stimulate domestic production, in line with broader efforts to reduce imports and promote micro, small and medium sized enterprises.
