The African Development Bank (AfDB) has supported the cashew sector in Benin through the African Development Fund. This financing will enable the implementation of the Support project for the development of the cashew nut sector and agricultural entrepreneurship in Benin (Padefa-Ena).

Launched on Friday March 19, in Dassa, Padefa-Ena intends to support the cashew sector, with the aim of improving the living conditions of producers. It was the Minister in charge of Agriculture, Gaston Cossi Dossouhoui, who officially launched the activities of this new program.

For the program coordinator, Kodjo Siaka, Padefa-Ena will, among other things, have to reshape 145 km of access roads. As well as the construction and equipment of five storage warehouses with a capacity of one thousand tons each.
Gaston C. Dossouhoui specifies that Padefa-Ena will intervene in supporting promoters for the installation of 3,000 ha of new cashew orchards with agricultural insurance through facilitations offered by the National Fund for Agricultural Development (Fnda ); the production and use of grafted cashew seedlings on 15 ha of nurseries in the form of a bank loan; support for the strengthening and modernization of 10 existing units of cashew apple juice; the strengthening and modernization of 10 existing cashew kernel processing units in the form of a bank loan.
The project will create an environment conducive to the development of agricultural small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the cashew sector, employment for young people and women, and achieve a sustainable impact on local development. Ultimately, the food security and incomes of the target populations will be improved. The gender and environment dimensions cut across all program components.