Cashew can earn Nigeria foreign exchange

The fast-growing tree can reach a height of 12 meters; it can start producing after three years of planting and the fruit ripens within eight weeks. It blossoms between November and January.Everything about cashew has a value chain that if processed, farmers could generate huge income from the product. The nut (in c-shape), which is […]

The fast-growing tree can reach a height of 12 meters; it can start producing after three years of planting and the fruit ripens within eight weeks. It blossoms between November and January.
Everything about cashew has a value chain that if processed, farmers could generate huge income from the product. The nut (in c-shape), which is attached to the lower portion of the cashew apple contains edible kernel usually roasted locally in Nigeria. It is common sight in Nigeria to see children roasting the cashew nuts which is said to be delicious.
According to South African Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Crops, “cashew apples and cashew nuts are excellent sources of nutrition. The cashew apple contains five times more vitamin C than an orange and contains more calcium, iron and vitamin B1 than other fruit such as citrus, avocados and bananas.”
The cashew tree, according to findings, was introduced into Nigeria with the intention of checkmating soil erosion and contributing to the afforestation effort, but this story has changed as cashew is now a cash crop and its tree of great economic value.
In the 1980s, Vietnam’s cashew production was same as what we had in Nigeria. By 1990 Vietnam began processing their cashew and 16 years after they had become the largest processor and exporter of cashew kernels in the world and by 2013 Vietnam earned $1.8 billion (USD) from cashew kernel export to over 80 countries.
South African Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Crops noted that India earns more than 200 million dollars a year by exporting 40 to 50 thousand tonnes of cashew kernels and the country’s trade links are spread over 40 countries.
The United States which is by far the largest buyer has huge demand for the product. The other major purchasing countries are Japan, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the countries in the Middle East.
Africa is the centre of the cashew world, producing over 40% of 2,600,000 tons of the world’s cashew nuts.
From 2012, Nigeria stands as the second world largest producer of cashew products. The country has a production capacity of 836,500 metric tonnes annually. The average production per hectare is 2.29. Other top producers in Africa are Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Tanzania, Ghana, Benin, Mozambique, Kenya and most recently Mali.
Nigeria is amongst the world’s top five largest cashew producing countries.
Developing and investing in Nigeria’s cashew industry offers a straight route from poverty to financial freedom and prosperity for thousands of families.
In Nigeria, cashew is grown in FCT, Niger, Nasarawa, Enugu, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi and Cross River. Others include Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Taraba. Other states in the far north include Sokoto and Kebbi.
Today, cashew is a major foreign exchange earner for Nigeria with annual production of raw cashew nuts now standing at 144,000 tons and still growing.
In the last nine years, cashew prices in Nigeria increased by 266.7%.
This is why a cashew export expert, Mr. Anga Sotonye stressed the need for Nigeria to consolidate its place in the cashew world by increasing its cashew production and processing.
According to him, “cashew is our heritage and one crop for which Nigeria has comparative advantage, and this explains why we have to be innovative and deliberately stimulate continuous improvements and drive growth in the cashew sector.”
He explained that cashew, from its humble beginning has now grown to become the winner crop that is supporting over 300,000 families in Nigeria covering the North, West, East and South of the country.
Anga who spoke at an export platform business luncheon on Nigeria’s multi-billion cashew industries in Lagos recently, urged the federal government to include cashew seedlings in the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) as part of the inputs farmers can get from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
Anga who is also the Managing Director of Universal Quest Nigeria, maintained that cashew will contribute N42 billion to Nigeria’s economy in 2015 but requires N50 billion to enable it boost production, processing and marketing and in return generate turnover of one N1 trillion in 10 years for the country.
He said: “As we allocate more land for cashew cultivation, our major focus should be to increase our national average in terms of yield per hectare which is around 400 – 600 kilogrammes per hectare to at least 1,000 -1,500 kilogrammes per hectare, and this can be achieved through the following: Establishment of a national cashew seed programme; improving farm level productivity by planting improved disease resistant high yielding cashew seedlings; and rejuvenation of old cashew farms and capacity building for cashew farmers.”
The chairman of the luncheon, Mr Yusuf Nurudeen, described the downturn in the oil and gas sector as a blessing for the non-oil segment to receive the required attention.
Making reference to a report of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, he said processing only 50 percent of the country’s cashew would create over 8,500 new jobs and generate N2 billion revenue for government.
He said for Nigeria to move forward in cashew, there has to be increase in cashew research projects, establishment of cashew seed/processing centres, youth encouragement in cashew based agriculture, establishment of cashew development commission and vigorous campaign to attract cashew growers.
Our reporters who visited some cashew farms in and around Abuja, said lack of processing companies is making cashew apples waste away especially during the March glut.
The community leader of Sabon-Gari, a town on the outskirts of Abuja under Niger State, Irimiya Salihu, who is also the chairman of the cashew farmers in the area lamented that the absence of buyers and processing companies have combined and reduced their incomes as they have to rely more on the nuts which could be stored longer to sell.
Although he said that the fruit when harvested is sold to customers from Zaria, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, the cashew apples most times were left to rot when there are no buyers.
He appealed to government and private companies to help set up processing factories where cashew fruits can be processed into juice instead of the fruit wasting away.
Abubakar Ibrahim, a cashew farmer in the area, told the reporters that selling the nuts is lucrative. He said the nuts are usually picked when the fruit decays or is eaten. The nut is sold for between N100 and N120 per measure whereas the bag, which is sold in kilogrammes goes for N6,000 per 100 kilogrammes size.