Abidjan, Nov. 19, 2020 (AIP) — The U.S. government is committed to improving the cashew sector in Côte d'Ivoire, through the launch of the USDA West Africa Pro-Cashew Project (PRO-Cashew) on Thursday, November 19, 2020 at the Andrew Young Center in Abidjan.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the PRO-CASHEW project will be implemented by Cultivating New Frontiers in Africa (CNFA) for an investment of 23 million dollars, for five years (2019-2024), in five West African countries, namely Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria.

Already operational in Côte d'Ivoire, which houses the project's regional headquarters, in Ghana and Nigeria, the PRO-Cashew project aims to improve the cashew sector throughout the value chain, said the project manager, Jean Fran& Accedil; Lois Guay.

More specifically, in implementing this project, the aim will be to “assist the professionalization and modernization of the cashew sector in West Africa by working with producers, nurseries, distributors and other stakeholders,” said the U.S. Embassy, Richard K. Bell.

Pro-CASHEW will also work in collaboration with national and regional policymakers, input retailers, and financial service providers to make the cashew nut sector in West Africa more competitive, he added.

For the American diplomat, USDA's investment, through this project, is in line with the broader priorities of the United States Mission in Côte d'Ivoire, to increase trade and investment between the economies of the two countries. A mutual benefit that will benefit farmers, processors, traders as well as consumers.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani, welcomed the implementation of this project, which will contribute to achieving the objectives of the National Strategy for Development and Competitiveness of the cashew value chain in Côte d'Ivoire and West Africa.

“Pro-Cashew growers and processing partners are expected to export about half of their cashew kernel production to the United States, with an estimated volume of 5,000 to 8,000 metric tons (MT) in 2021, for a value of between 22 and 35 million dollars. This value will increase regularly between 2022 and 2024,” he specified.

For him, “the partnership between farmers and processors is essential to improve traceability, provide better quality, and increase trade with the United States.” Because, he noted, this project actively supports the government of Côte d'Ivoire in its objective of transforming 50% of raw cashew nuts into almonds by 2024.

Five districts in Côte d'Ivoire, namely Denguélé, Savanes, Zanzan, Woroba and Bandama, are concerned by the implementation of the Pro-Cashew project, we note.