Tanzania’s cashew farmers expect increased earnings amid higher production, government support
TANZANIA – Small-scale cashew farmers in Tanzania are optimistic about achieving increased earnings from their crop this season, driven by higher production yields and improved crop quality.
Farmers in the Lindi and Mtwara regions report substantial crop production increases for the 2024/2025 season compared to previous years, with many attributing these gains to early access to subsidized agricultural inputs and government support in training and best farming practices.
“Production is very high this season compared to past seasons, and this assures me of increased income,” a farmer from the Mtwara region told the Daily News during a recent cashew auction.
Another farmer shared that timely distribution of subsidized inputs allowed smallholders to follow the recommended spraying calendar, improving crop health and yield.
Through the Cashew nuts Board of Tanzania (CBT), the Tanzanian government provided inputs valued at 188.99 billion Tanzanian shillings for the 2023/2024 farming season, up from 96.26 billion shillings in the previous year.
CBT Director General Alfred Francis noted that the distribution was completed before the start of the season, ensuring smallholders could fully adhere to the farming calendar.
Additionally, farmers were supported through extensive training on best agricultural practices.
CBT Director of Marketing and Quality Control, Revelian Ngaiza, expressed optimism for the current season, projecting an increase in raw cashew production from 310,787 tonnes in the 2023/2024 season to an estimated 595,000 tonnes for 2024/2025.
As Tanzania prepares for an anticipated record yield, the CBT has urged stakeholders across the cashew value chain to prioritize quality in order to secure higher market prices.
Ngaiza emphasized the need for Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (AMCOS) managers in cashew-growing regions to supervise quality standards rigorously, ensuring only high-quality cashews are exported.
According to the CBT, the highest-grade cashews have a KOR (Kernel Outturn Ratio) between 51 and 55, aligning with international standards.
To further strengthen the cashew industry, Tanzania plans to enhance local cashew processing capacity with the construction of four new processing factories in the southern regions by the 2025/26 season.
These facilities will include a factory at the Maranje Industrial Cluster in Mtwara Rural District, two factories in Tandahimba and Newala districts under the Tanzania National Cashew Cooperative Union (Tanecu), and another in Tunduru managed by the Tunduru Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Union (TAMCU).
Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe emphasized the importance of completing these projects by the 2025/26 season, aligning with the expansion of warehousing capacity in the Maranje Industrial Cluster to fully support the increased production.
In the 2023/2024 season, Tanzanian cashew exports generated US$227 million, an increase from US$162 million in the previous season.
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