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FG To De-risk Cashew Worth-chain To Increase Manufacturing, Export
The federal authorities has taken rapid steps to maximise and harness the total financial potential inherent in cashew export.
The Govt Director/Chief Govt, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Dr. Ezra Yakusak, stated although Uncooked Cashew Nut (RCN) emerged because the fifth main non-oil exportable product valued at $252 million, and accounted for five.24 per cent of the nation’s non-oil export portfolio in 2022, the potential of the sector remained largely under-developed.
Talking on the launch of the Natural Cashew Certification Programme for Exports, organised by the council in collaboration with NICERT, Valency Restricted and PRO-Cashew in Abuja, he stated Nigeria remained the 4th main producer of uncooked cashew nuts in Africa with about 19 producing states “However sadly, now we have not maximized and harnessed the total financial potential inherent in cashew export.”
The NEPC boss stated the nation’s cashew export commerce was largely hampered by non-adherence to meals security requirements, lack of traceability, low yield per hectare, poor practices, ageing bushes amongst others.
He burdened that a lot of the cashew exports are in main type including that “export of processed cashew kernel could be very low and accounts for about 16 per cent of cashew export”, and principally the standard slightly than natural licensed cashew.
Yakusak stated that given the state of affairs, the council deemed it essential to collaborate and chart a pathway with deliberate and deliberate actions to deal with the problems plaguing the Nigerian cashew sector.
He stated, “That’s the reason this initiative sponsored by the PRO-Cashew by means of CNFA which is a five-year undertaking funded by the USDA is well timed and welcomed. The purpose of this undertaking is to help the Nigeria cashew sector and enhance cashew productiveness and effectivity, enhance crop high quality, and enhance harvest and post-harvest strategies amongst others.”
He additional assured {that a} cautious and devoted implementation of the undertaking would facilitate a gradual shift from typical cashew to natural cashew, whose export ensures area of interest market and premium pricing.
He stated, “It’s going to additionally enhance productiveness, enhance harvest and post-harvest practices, guarantee adherence to greatest practices, guarantee traceability, and improve competitiveness.
“The council is subsequently dedicated to this undertaking and able to present the required help to make sure its efficient implementation.”
In response to him, NEPC had beforehand undertaken varied technical periods, provision of inputs and different intervention supplies throughout the cashew-producing states, that are designed to enhance the know-how of worth chain actors.
Equally, below the Export Growth Facility Programme (EEFP) scheme, the council educated 200 cashew farmers in Oyo and Kogi States, and absolutely paid for the implementation of natural certification for 100 cashew farms.
He added that repositioning the commodity sector would attain its rightful place and grow to be a significant contributor to the nation’s export earnings and GDP.
