By Adeleye Kunle
Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, assured yesterday that the cashew value chain will continue to be a priority for the Federal Government in terms of export and revenue generation.
Abubakar made the announcement while receiving a delegation from the African Cashew Alliance, led by its President, Otunba Babatola Faseru, at the Ministry’s Abuja headquarters.
He praised the ACA for organizing the first ACA conference in Abuja, which he said would bring about new knowledge and productivity along the value chain while also attracting investors.
He claims that cashew is similar to cocoa in that it generates a lot of foreign exchange for Nigeria, which increases farmers’ profits.
He also stated that the Ministry is willing to work with stakeholders in the cashew value chain to improve seedling quality, increase production, and generate income.
According to him, cashew has become a national commodity that grows across the 36 states of the federation, and this is a strong indication of its potential to galvanize the economy, with cocoa serving as the economy’s second foreign exchange earner.
“The current administration’s focus is on agricultural sector growth, and once that is achieved, we will have established a foundation for economic growth,” he said.
“Every single value chain in the agricultural sector is important, and bringing them together would make a significant difference in the area of Food and Nutrition Security.”
Meanwhile, the Minister promised that the Ministry would continue to support the cashew value chain, noting that the Ministry had trained smallholder farmers in cashew production, processing, and packaging.
Earlier, in a statement, Otunba Babatola Faseru, President of the African Cashew Alliance, ACA, stated that ACA is a non-governmental organization founded in 2005 with the mission of promoting a globally competitive African Cashew industry that benefits the entire value chain, from farmers to consumers.
However, Faseru lamented that Africa loses over 2000 jobs in the cashew value chain each year, and that the cashew value chain alone could provide over 1000 jobs in Nigeria.
“The states of Jigawa and Kebbi are doing well in cashew production.” “We want the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to help us move the Cashew sub-sector forward,” he said.
Hon Ojo Ajanaku, President of the Cashew Association of Nigeria, also spoke, revealing that Nigeria has approximately 600,000 surviving cashew trees spread across the country.
According to Ajanaku, currently 75% to 80% of cashew nuts produced in Nigeria are exported, as only a few companies are involved in the commodity’s local processing.
He also stated that Africa accounts for 60% of global cashew growth, so more needs to be done to boost cashew processing and investment in Nigeria as a leading African country producing and exporting cashew.
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