World cashew stakeholders meet in Dar today

The plight of small cashew nut growers will be top on the agenda when stakeholders from various countries that produce the crop meet in Dar es Salaam from today. The President of Africa Cashew Alliance (ACA) Executive Committee, Mr Carlos Costa, said yesterday that the three-day meeting would be attended by more than 100 delegates including cashewnut growers, buyers and processors. “The delegates are from five countries and we will have people coming from India, Brazil, United States of America and Europe. We also expect a delegation from Vietnam”, he said. Mr Costa said the meeting was important, as it would provide an opportunity for cashewnut stakeholders from around the world, to have in-depth discussion on matters concerning the sub-sector. He further said that ACA which will also hold its Annual General Meeting, was established to assist cashew- nut farmers in Africa and that it was not a financial institution or a team of experts, but rather a facilitator. Mr Costs said what they are trying to do is build a network that would include all stakeholders from governments to private sectors so that all can benefit from the crop. “We are here to look into the problems that face cashew- nut growers in rural areas, who earn very little compared to the prices of processed cashewnuts”, he said. Tanzania and other Eastern African countries produce 150 tons of cashewnuts annually most of which are shipped to India or Vietnam, where they are processed and exported to Europe and America. According to ACA statistics, other areas that produce most of the world’s cashewnuts are West Africa, India, Brazil, Vietnam and other Asian countries.