<p></p><p>Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau plan to cooperate in the cashew sector, Mozambican daily newspaper Notícias reported, citing sources from both countries who took part in the International Cashew Conference held in the Mozambican capital. <br></p> <p>The newspaper also reported that representatives of the two countries have initiated contacts and that Guinea-Bissau, the second largest producer of cashew nuts in Africa with an average of 200,000 tons per year, is seeking information about Mozambique’s experience in industrialisation of cashews. <br></p> <p>Mozambique, the fourth largest African cashew producer and one of the leaders in cashew nut processing in Africa, intends to improve its knowledge of cashew production. <br></p> <p>Africa produces half of the cashew nuts sold worldwide, estimated at 3 million tons, but only processes 10 percen of this production, and Filomena Maiopué, director of the Cashew Promotion Institute (Incaju) of Mozambique, advocated an increase in the processing in countries where cashews are produced, “to guarantee jobs and income that the population needs so much.” <br></p> <p>The director of Incaju said during the conference that Mozambique plans to produce about 100,000 tons of cashews in the 2014/2015 season, 20,000 tons more than the previous season, but about half of what the country produced in the 1970s when was the world’s largest producer with 200,000 tons per year. <br></p> <p>Mozambique is currently fourth on the list of the largest cashew nut producers in Africa, a list that is headed by Ivory Coast, followed by Guinea-Bissau and Tanzania. <br></p> <p>The International Cashew Conference is the world’s largest forum for the product, linking research with production and the market by discussing issues such as business, ethical trade and organic production.<br></p><p></p>