CAMEROON- The government has unveiled plans to revive the national strategy for reviving the cashew industry, targeting 100,000 hectares before 2030 with the help of the European Union (EU) and the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ).
The strategy’s target is achieving an annual production of 50,000 tons, with 50% of cashew processed locally.
According to the Cameroonian government, implementation will require investments of CFA 34.5 billion (US$56.9 million), which will be jointly provided by GIZ, the EU, and private investors.
The pilot phase of the revived program will involve setting up ten cashew processing units as farmers are encouraged to plant cashew trees. The government anticipates the processing units will generate CFA 50 billion (US$82.5 million) in annual revenue by 2030.
The plan also involves providing farmers with access to farm inputs, extension services, financial aid, and access to the market.
The strategy will particularly target the northern region, whose hot climate is suitable for cashew farming. The government revealed the plan will help the northern region diversify its economy, currently dominated by cotton.
The national strategy for growing the cashew nut value chain was initially adopted in October 2018 with the aid of the EU and GIZ. However, due to funding and management challenges, it was slow to yield results.
The revived strategy will build on the progress made in August 2023, when the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) distributed 25,000 cashew seedlings to 34 cooperatives in the northern region via the national strategy. This was the most significant funding for the initiative since its inception.
Although IRAD initiated a parallel project to produce a million seedlings via the same cooperatives, implementation was derailed due to limited funding and high input costs caused by disruptions in the global supply chain. The government has, therefore, been implored to ensure proper management and oversight in the implementation of the strategy.
The strategy reflects a growing interest in the growing potential of the Cameroonian agriculture sector and economy. According to the World Bank, Cameroon recorded the fastest economic growth among Central African economies from 2021 to 2023, with an average growth rate of 3.4%.
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