Portucel-Mozambique, a company operating in the provinces of Manica and Zambézia, will within days export eucalyptus wood to Portugal to be used in the production of pulp for paper manufacture.
In fact, the governor of Manica, Francisca Tomás, a few days ago launched the export of the first 140 cubic meters of eucalyptus logs, which will be shipped in four ships already docked at the Port of Beira.
With this operation, Portucel expects to earn more than 10 million US dollars, which is the first return on the 1.5 billion metical investment the company has made in eucalyptus plantations.
The managing director of Portucel-Mozambique, Paulo Silva, said that with this operation Mozambique will for the first time enter the exotic wood export route, breaking the hegemony of native wood that the country currently exports to Asia and other countries.
In addition to Portugal, Portucel-Mozambique plans to expand its exports to some Asian countries, such as China and Japan.
In fact, the company plans to build a pulp processing unit in the country soon, in a project estimated at 100 million US dollars.
Besides Manica province, where the company has been producing eucalyptus for 10 years, in an area of 500 hectares, out of the two thousand hectares available, the Portuguese-owned company also has plantations in Zambézia province.
Governor Francisca Tomás, who launched the first tranche of Portucel’s exports to Portugal, said the event marks the beginning of a process that will raise the name of Mozambique and Manica province in particular in Europe’s paper industry. She called on the company to honour its commitments to social responsibility, adding that in addition to the 100 million meticals invested in this component, it should continue its efforts to ensure that the surrounding communities benefit from the project.
