Pineapples grown in Muxungue in Mozambique's central province of Sofala are ready to be exported to the European market following international certification, the government said on Wednesday.
BCS Oko-Garantie of Germany last week certified four producers who will market their crops under the Muxungue Organic Farmers Associations.
According to Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Kenneth Marizane, in the first phase, a total of 700 tonnes of pineapples will be exported to the Netherlands and Denmark in the middle of this year.
Marizane also said this is a pilot project which in the future could be spread to other parts of the country if growers can meet the demands of the European market, such as the need for the product to be 100 percent natural and organic.
In order to receive the certification, he said, the pineapple producers of Muxungue have to take many steps over a period of three years to meet the international standards for organic produce.
In Mozambique, the pineapples will be processed by the First National Choice-Mozambique in Inhambane province to produce organic fruit juice.
First National Choice intends to invest 6 million U. S. dollars in building a processing plant with an initial capacity to process 40 tonnes of pineapples a day.
Chibabava district has 3,500 farmers cultivating pineapples.
(Source:http://news.xinhuanet.com)