Stakeholders raise concerns over cashew inputs

Cashew

ANNE ROBI

STAKEHOLDERS in the cashew nuts industry have asked the government to conduct thorough research on inputs provided as a subsidy to cash growers in the country.

Speaking here over the weekend, the stakeholders said some of the inputs could be of low quality and thus causing low production of the cashew nuts.

The stakeholders issued the statement following a report by Cashew Nut Board of Tanzania (CBT) that indicated a decline in cashew harvests from 230,000 tonnes in 2021/22 to 176,600 tonnes in the 2022/2023 seasonal year.

“Most of the inputs especially pesticide provided are of low quality and these could have led to decline in cashew production,” said one Baisa Abdallah a cashew grower in Mtwara.

On the other hand, Ms Shadida Ndile pointed to delay in the distribution and supply of the inputs as another factor that contributed to decline in cashew production.

“In last season’s cashew production there was a delay in distribution of the cashew nuts inputs, especially sulphur powder meant for controlling cashew diseases,” she said.

Ms Ndile further asked CBT to draw up better plans for ensuring timely and enough cashew nuts inputs to farmers to avoid delay production of the cashew crop.

Responding, CBT Acting Director General Mr Alfred Francis said the government was committed to ensure all the challenges are tackled to ensure smooth production of the cashew nuts in the country.

Last year the government put in place a number of interventions including issuing a 90bn/- subsidy for agricultural inputs that aimed at seeing increasing production of cashew nuts to 400,000 tonnes in 2022/2023 from 240,000/- harvested in 2021/22.

According to Mr Francis the strategies aimed at taking the cashew industry to the next level in Africa and the world market. He said the projection is to reach production of 700,000 tonnes of cashew nuts in the 2025/26 financial year.

“The board has put strategies in place to increase cashew production from 400,000 harvest led this season (2022/2023) to 700,000 tonnes by 2025/26 and increase domestic cashew processing capacity to 60 per cent,” he noted.

The board also announced to widen the scope of regions conducting cashew farming from five regions to 17 regions.