After having considerably developed its production of cashew nuts until becoming the first
world producer, Côte d'Ivoire is working to transform the raw material into kernels with a certain
success. Admittedly, the transformation of raw cashew nuts into almonds was only 8% in 2018. But, it
progressing rapidly with 70,000 tonnes of cashew processed, which is 30,000 tonnes more than the
average of the last five years. In addition, cashew kernel exports jumped 42% in the 1st
half of 2019 with nearly 5,000 tons shipped mainly to India, Vietnam and the United States.
A leap in exports which is accompanied by a proliferation of processing companies. Thus reveals
specialist N'Kalô of 10 processors who exported cashew kernels in 2017, they switched to
18 in the first months of 2019.
Thus, "The growth of cashew nut processing in Côte d'Ivoire no longer depends
only from a limited number of processors, nor foreign investments! remarks N'Kalo.
Further developing the transformation
In order to further stimulate the transformation, the Ivorian government signed in early August eight conventions
with the manufacturers Africa Agri Industry, Aisia, Cilagri Cajou, Inc, Novarea, Olam, Sita and Stnc. Objective
increase cashew processing by 107,000 tonnes over the next four years. In
In return, manufacturers will benefit from certain advantages such as exemption from customs duties and
VAT on batches of spare parts depending on the areas of investment or the granting of credit
tax in the operating phase over a period of 5 years.
Another point favoring the transformation, the signing on August 18 of an agreement between the Authority of
regulation of warehouse receipt systems (ARRE) and the Chinese group Tbea for construction
in the next three years of 108 raw cashew nut processing and storage warehouses
in the seven production zones of the country. At an estimated cost of FCFA 157 billion (€239 million), the
project will be financed by "a loan from a Chinese bank. And the refund will be made on fifteen
years by the samples that will be taken from the storage of the products" explained Justin N'Goran Koffi, director
general of the ARRE, according to Fratmat.info.
A dynamic almond market
A rise in power of the world's fourth processor, after Vietnam, India and Brazil, on a
still dynamic cashew kernel market. Almond exports increased by 11% over the
1st half of 2019 to reach 240,114 tons, of which more than 80% comes from Vietnam. And it's a band
Vietnamese company, T&T, which concluded an agreement at the beginning of August with the Cereals and Other Produce Board of Tanzania
(CPB) to buy 176,000 tons of cashew nuts from Tanzania, finally releasing a large part of the stock
from its 2018/19 harvest. It is this same Vietnamese group which had also signed in recent months
agreements with Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea Bissau (Read First cashew purchases under the contract
with Vietnamese T&T). Thanks to these agreements, T&T holds an important position in
the supply of raw cashew nuts from Vietnam. The latter is the world's leading importer of
raw cashew nuts with nearly 1.2 million tons in 2018, i.e. 58% of world imports and
world's leading exporter of almonds with 374,000 tonnes, i.e. more than 80% of world exports
(read Cashew market in 2018: West Africa 1st supplier and processor in progress).