The Cashew Board of Tanzania (CBT) has set an ambitious target to increase cashew nut production to one million tons by 2030. This goal aims to enhance the value of the crop and expand market access domestically and internationally, including in Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.
Initiatives to Achieve the 2030 Target:
Government Subsidies: Over the past three years, the government has fully subsidized cashew inputs for farmers, boosting production from 310,000 tons in the 2023/2024 season to an estimated 410,000 tons in 2024/2025.
Youth Engagement: The Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with CBT, has implemented the Building a Better Tomorrow: Youth Initiative for Agribusiness (BBT-YIA), employing 500 youth to provide extension services to farmers in key cashew-growing regions.
Industrial Development: Plans include developing dedicated industrial parks in villages such as Maranje, Nanyamba, and Mtwara, covering 1,572 acres. These parks will host 30 cashew nut mills, six cashew nut shell oil mills, and four sesame processing mills, aiming to increase processing capacity and fully realize domestic cashew production potential by 2030.
Upcoming Global Cashew Meeting:
CBT is organizing a global cashew meeting later this year, expected to bring together over 500 stakeholders from more than 30 cashew-producing countries. The event will focus on investment opportunities and strategies to expand market access in the cashew industry.
These initiatives reflect Tanzania’s commitment to becoming a leading player in the global cashew market by significantly increasing production and processing capabilities.