The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Cashew production

  • Cashew production hits 260,000 tons

    NIGERIA’s cashew production   hit 260,000 tons this year, the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) has said.  It was 90,000 tons in 2011.

    The association attributed the increase to Babatola Faseru-led executive’s efforts to promote cashew production.

    In a communique after its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, NCAN said it has been able to improve local, national and international image for cashew brand.

    In addition, the association said the nation had recorded improved cashew earnings and contribution to the economy, adding that the commodity was the number one  non-oil export contributor to the economy in 2017.

    Nigeria is rated as the fourth largest producer of cashew nuts in Africa and seventh in the world, with the bulk of its raw cashew nuts and cashew kernels exported to Vietnam and India.

    The NCAN then urged the government to allocate funds and create schemes to increase cashew nut production.

    The association said it focused on the key gaps inhibiting growth in the business that will help to rebuild the sector’s potential, stimulate growth, and enable smallholder farmers to raise their incomes and yields, while creating jobs for young people and raising incomes for women.

    According to the association, cashew is a major agricultural produce and efforts have been made to boost farmers’ productivity and improve cashew production practices.

    On its  election, the association said: “ NCAN AGM agrees and also stands on the December 19, 2019 election date for smooth transition. This was, however, changed to Wednesday, October 16 for convenience sake.”

    “That NCAN AGM with its over 40,000 membership across the value chain of cashew rejected in strong terms the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Trade, Abuja-led intervention of July 4, 2019 election date.”

  • Stakeholders canvass increased focus on cashew production

    Farmers and other stakeholders in the agric sector have called for more attention to the production, processing and marketing of cashew in view of its huge nutritional and economic value.

    The stakeholders in separate interviews lamented the utter neglect of the product, and regretted that the few farmers engaged in it had neither been supported nor encouraged to adequately reap its vast economic potential.

    For instance, the Chairman, Kogi State Chapter of Cashew Producers Association of Nigeria (CPAN), Mr. Stephen Ahiaba, lamented that about 500,000 tons of cashew apples and fruits worth N50 billion rot yearly in Kogi State.

    While blaming the development on the lack of requisite technology to process juice from cashew fruits, he stressed that the situation was discouraging many farmers. He, however, expressed happiness that a local agro-products processing outfit had delved into processing cashew nuts.

    Ahiaba said CPAN was into the cashew business to improve cashew value chain, adding that residues from processed cashew apples could be converted into animal feeds.

    Investigations show that the crop is cultivated mostly in the eastern, western and central areas of Kogi in local governments like Dekina, Ofu, Idah, Igalamela, Omala and Yagba East.

    Other local governments include Yagba West, Mopamuro, Ijumu, Kabba/Bunu, Adavi, Okehi, Okene.

    A consultant with Synergos Nigeria, Mr. Solomon Yizogembi, said Kogi was can generate over 10, 000 job opportunities from investments in cashew production and processing.

    He said a 150,000-tonnes investment window for cashew products was available in Kogi.

  • ‘Nigeria can lead in global cashew production’

    ‘Nigeria can lead in global cashew production’

    Nigeria can be the highest supplier of cashew in the world if the right parameters are put in place, the Managing Director, African Cashew Alliance (ACA), Dr. Babafemi Oyewole, has said.

    According to him, a survey conducted 15 years ago on cashew producing areas in the country showed that less than 20 per cent of available lands for planting the crop are being utilised. Therefore, by increasing land area with high-yielding and good quality cashew trees, Nigeria had the potential to become the largest producer of raw cashew nuts (RCN).

    Oyewole told The Nation that the  continent grows 57 per cent of global cashew and that Nigeria was the third largest producer with about 170,000 metric tonnes (MT) per yearly.

    The hope of being world’s largest cashew producer was further buoyed by the activities of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), which is implementing a programme for rejuvenating cashew plantations and increasing the area of land under cashew production in Nigeria, particularly as Nigerian cashew trees are aging.

    Oyewole explained that it cost N10 billion to plant 350 million new cashew trees, which could stimulate  economic activities. He explained that the industry could attract foreign direct investment into the economy. This was why a lot of foreign investors had partnered  local entrepreneurs to set up plantations and processing factories across the continent, he said.

    The ACA helmsman explained that the modest improvement in cashew processing in Africa, which moved from a paltry three per cent in 2006 to about 15 per cent last year, had been made possible by foreign investors, such as Olam and Fludor, among others, who have sited cashew processing factories in countries, such as Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Benin Republic.

    “Processors are struggling to procure RCN and the government should actively support their efforts through potential tax/export policies and increased access to finance. Nigeria should look to long-term strategies to increase production so that all RCN demand is met-both foreign and domestic,” he advised, adding that since the country sought to diversify its economy from the mono-product of petroleum, cashew production and processing offer one of the opportunities to earn the much-needed foreign exchange and revenue to support economic and social development.

  • Cashew production hits 20,000 tonnes

    The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) has said the yearly production of cashew in the country has hit 120,000 tonnes.

    The group also reiterated the need to properly fund the cashew industry to ensure value addition and increased exportation.

    In a statement signed by the National Secretary of the association, Mr Sotonye Anga, it said: “Cashew in Nigeria provides livelihood for over 300,000 families in the country, with annual production put at 120,000 tonnes.

    “Unlocking financing to the cashew sector means creating more jobs for our people, reducing poverty and ensuring increased exports of cashew and will encourage value addition to raw cashew.

    “NCAN cashew financing forum is leveraging on the Nigerian cashew cluster finance scheme which was signed during the 2012 annual National cashew season flag off in Ilorin, Kwara State.”

    Anga, who is also the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the event, noted that more funds were required to grow the sector.

    He stressed that cashew traders, exporters, farmers, processors and others across the value chain, needed access to financing to be able to grow their businesses.

    “With this, traders, exporters, farmers, cashew processors and other stakeholders across the value chain will be able to access financing at a pocket friendly rate to improve their cashew businesses,” he said.