BACKGROUND OF THE NIGERIAN CASHEW INDUSTRY  Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is a tree crop which fruits all year round with a gestation period of 3-4 years and a fruit life of 60 years with proper farming practices. Cashew is well adapted to seasonally wet and dry tropical climates, it has the capacity to grow and yield satisfactorily on well drained light textured soils with minimum inputs.  

BACKGROUND OF THE NIGERIAN CASHEW INDUSTRY  Cashew was introduced into Nigeria in 16th century by the Portuguese. It was initially used as a means of checking erosion especially in the Eastern part of the country. It has now become a tree crop with an estimated annual production of 160,000 metric tons valued at US$250million (Two Hundred and fifty Million US Dollars) from the exportation of raw cashew nuts alone.

BACKGROUND OF THE NIGERIAN CASHEW INDUSTRY  These cashew nuts were mainly of the medium nut- size biotype and falls within the W320 category. This cashew biotype constitutes most of the cashew grown on the various plantations in Nigeria. The increased awareness in the economic benefits of the crop has led to the astronomical growth and renewed interests in the agri-business of the crop.

STATISTICS OF CASHEW IN NIGERIA   Out of Nigeria's total land area of about 91 million hectares, 82 million hectares has been found to be arable; only 42 percent of the cultivable area is being farmed. Much of these lands are farmed under the bush fallow system, whereby land is left idle for a period of time to allow for natural regeneration of soil fertility. STATISTICS OF CASHEW IN NIGERIA

STATISTICS OF CASHEW IN NIGERIA   The total land under cashew tree cultivation in Nigeria by 1990 was estimated at about 50,000 hectares, of which about 60% of the holdings were owned by peasant farmers.

STATISTICS OF CASHEW IN NIGERIA   Currently, Nigeria has about 600,000 surviving cashew trees spread across the East, West, South and Northern Nigeria, with an average yield of about 400kg to 500kg per hectare. Over 80 percent of these cashew trees are over aged -over 30 years old- though still fruiting, their productivity is very low.

STATISTICS OF CASHEW IN NIGERIA   Today, cashew can be regarded as a national crop as it is vastly grown in 22 states out of the existing 36 states of the nation. It can however be grown effortlessly in the other 14 states of the federation due to its adaptability to wide ecological differences STATISTICS OF CASHEW IN NIGERIA

STATISTICS OF CASHEW IN NIGERIA   A total of 135,000 tons of cashew (just nuts) is being exported yearly which accounts for about 85 percent of the total production in Nigeria. These raw cashew nuts are exported to India, Vietnam and other countries for processing and increased value addition. Only about 15 percent is being processed STATISTICS OF CASHEW IN NIGERIA

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA AND CASHEW   In 2012, after concerted efforts of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) under the leadership of its National President, Tola Faseru, Cashew was listed as one of the transformational crops under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture's Transformation Agenda effective 2013.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA AND CASHEW   The Federal ministry of Industry ,Trade and Investment has earmarked cashew as one of the 13 National Strategic Export Products(NSEPs) that will be used to diversify the economy away from oil and this presents a huge opportunity for would be investors across the cashew value chain.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA AND CASHEW   A Road map for cashew industry development in Nigeria 2016-2020 has already been presented to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment. This is focused on increasing Nigeria’s cashew production from 160,000 tons to 500,000 tons in 4 years, and processing 70% of total cashew production. Our focus is Cashew Research, Cashew Production, Cashew Processing and Cashew Marketing.

THE NATIONAL CASHEW ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA   THE NATIONAL CASHEW ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) is the umbrella body for the Nigerian Cashew Industry. The main objective of NCAN is to build a sustainable Nigerian cashew industry for the benefit of all stakeholders in the cashew value chain. Our members are: Cashew Farmers, Traders, Processors, Exporters, Researchers and all Service Providers

The Cashew transformation agenda, an offshoot of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda seeks to promote policies, human capacity and technology for exploring the huge potential in the cashew industry. This will have an impact on the annual production raising it from 160,000mt to 500,000mt in 2020 with an impressive yield improvement from 450kg/ha to 1,000kg/ha and enhanced processing capacity from 15% to 70% in 2020.

CASHEW INDUSTRIALIZATION IN NIGERIA Huge opportunities exist in the processing of raw cashew nuts in Nigeria seeing that currently only 15% of our local production is being processed while the global demand for cashew kernel and other cashew by products is consistently on the rise. Processing covers cashew kernel processing, cashew juice production, cashew nut shell liquid, cashew flour and other cashew by products!

CASHEW INDUSTRIALIZATION IN NIGERIA We plan to boost value addition to raw cashew by establishing 200 new cashew processing factories in Nigeria. We are therefore advocating a single digit 50 Billion Naira Cashew Processing Fund which will be channeled towards establishing cashew processing factories in various cashew producing areas with a minimum combined capacity of 300,000 tons per annum.

Increased value addition to our cashew. OUR PRIORITIES Increased value addition to our cashew. Massive job creation across the cashew value chain. Improved income for cashew farmers Greater contribution of cashew to Nigeria's GDP. Foreign exchange earnings for the Nigerian economy

MAJOR DIFFICULTIES OF CASHEW MARKETING AND INDUSTRIALIZATION Encroachment of foreigners at the farm gate. Most times, buyers from Asia or from neighboring countries who are not locally registered companies who often buy directly or indirectly, every possible quantity of nuts, irrespective of the quality. They advance money to buy whatever is available during the season.

MAJOR DIFFICULTIES OF CASHEW MARKETING AND INDUSTRIALIZATION This situation, even though increases competition for nuts and offers better prices to farmers, leads to some “unethical trading practices” such as non –respect of supply agreements between LBAs and farmers. These non -nationals abruptly withdraw from the market unannounced and prices are brought down from the hitherto higher levels making market to come down and many losing money across the value chain particularly the vulnerable farmers.

MAJOR DIFFICULTIES OF CASHEW MARKETING AND INDUSTRIALIZATION Our statistics are also affected as some of these non-nationals smuggle the cashews across the border unrecorded. Quality also deteriorates as the non-nationals in the bid to collect the cashew quickly do not allow the farmers to do proper drying to the acceptable level.

MAJOR DIFFICULTIES OF CASHEW MARKETING AND INDUSTRIALIZATION Low kernel recovery – Due to relatively short history and lack of adequate skill and expertise in cashew processing in the country, kernel recovery is low, between 18 – 20% at most processing centers. Some countries- India, Vietnam, Benin, and Tanzania et.c produce higher kernel recovery as high as 25% to 38%. This high level of kernel recovery is also influenced by several factors that include - the varieties cultivated, good agronomic practices, and harvesting and post-harvest practices

MAJOR DIFFICULTIES OF CASHEW MARKETING AND INDUSTRIALIZATION Post-harvest handling losses- There is no precise data available on post-harvest losses of cashew. However, the general estimate is between 20 to 25%. Some estimate up to 50 % losses in some states. The losses come from spoilt, void, spotted, and broken nuts, harvesting of immature nuts by shaking the trees, poor post- harvest management practices etc. Reduction of post-harvest losses has been increasing the quantity of available nuts while increased cultivation is going on side by side.

MAJOR DIFFICULTIES OF CASHEW MARKETING AND INDUSTRIALIZATION Poor infrastructural facilities: Transport and unstable power supply continues to plague the Nigerian manufacturing/processing industry. The cost of alternative power supply is high and erodes most of the profit of a processing company.

MAJOR DIFFICULTIES OF CASHEW MARKETING AND INDUSTRIALIZATION Unskilled workforce: The labor available for work is mostly untrained and unskilled. There’s a need to continuously train the workforce specially for cashew processing. We have proposed a training school be set up somewhere in West Africa from where processing companies can recruit skilled workers for their cashew processing factories.

MAJOR DIFFICULTIES OF CASHEW MARKETING AND INDUSTRIALIZATION Non readily available cheap single digit interest funds for processing

RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS Establishment and inauguration of Cashew Value Chain Team. Advocacy visit to 27 producing states to seek support for Cashew Transformation Agenda / increase awareness of cashew production and processing. Study tour to Vietnam, India and Brazil by officials to study the progress of cashew processing industries.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS Establishment of cashew processing zones in cashew producing areas in which cashew factories can be set up with common infrastructures and facilities like drying yards, power, water and even land for cashew plantations

RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS Education of farmers and farmer groups on proper post harvest handling practices

RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS Promote increased local consumption of cashew and create awareness on the health benefit of cashew consumption.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS Develop business plan for small, medium scale and commercial investors on the use of cashew by-products.

PROFILE OF MR. TOLA FASERU Mr. Babatola Olutoba Faseru is the National President, National Cashew Association Of Nigeria (NCAN) and Vice President of the African Cashew Alliance (ACA). Tola Faseru has continued to contribute immensely to the cashew landscape in Nigeria and Africa. He is a major advocate of maximizing and harnessing the full potentials of the African cashew industry.