Cashew output seen rising on favourable weather

…Exports threatened by Cambodia

Nigeria’s cashew output for the 2024/25 season is expected to rise by at least five percent on favourable weather conditions, the National Cashew Association of Nigeria has said.

Farmers link the increase in production to quality fruiting of cashew trees observed across major producing states in the country and the mild harmattan season that has helped flowers to bud and blossom well.

“The weather condition has been favourable so far,” Ojo Ajanaku, national president of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), said during the season flag-off in Lagos.

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“With what we have seen across key producing states, we believe that production will be higher this year than in 2024 by at least five percent,” Ajanaku said.

He added that the quality of the nuts would also be good owing to the mild harmattan that will help to reduce the level of heat during storage.

Last year, cashew farmers did not benefit from the global price rally that other growers of major commodities enjoyed as they struggled to sell over weak prices.

However, farmers say 2025 looks promising as prices have started on a good note as the season commences.

“This year looks promising for cashew. Output will increase and price will be attractive,” said Debo Thomas from his cashew farm in Ogbomosho, Oyo State.

“The harmattan has not been harsh and too windy. This is helping the trees to fruit well without the wind blowing them off,” he said.

According to him, if this favourable weather condition is sustained, the country will see a boost in its 2025 output.

He noted that farmers in Ogbomosho – a top-growing cashew community – have started picking nuts from trees.

According to data from the country’s agriculture ministry, Nigeria is the fourth-largest producer of cashew nuts in Africa and sixth globally, with 350,000 metric tons per annum.

Currently, a metric ton of cashew sells between N1.9 million and N2 million at the farm gate, while a kilo sells for an average of N2,000.

Cashew has become a top-notch cash crop in Nigeria and it is one of the commodities targeted by the federal government to revamp the Nigerian economy and boost exports.

In Nigeria, cashew is usually harvested between February and June, though farmers stock the crop and export it year round.

Exports threatened by Cambodia

Nigeria exported cashew nuts worth N257.5 billion in the first nine months of 2024, with Vietnam accounting for 80 percent of the value.

However, Cambodia is threatening Nigeria’s 2025 cashew exports. The Southeast Asian country has overtaken Ivory Coast as the top supplier of Vietnam’s cashews.

Vietnam’s General Department of Customs said Cambodia has knocked off Ivory Coast to become its largest supplier of raw cashew nuts in 2024.

Cambodia exported about 760,000 tons of cashew nuts and earned $971 million in 2024, a 39 percent increase from what it earned exporting the nuts to Vietnam in 2023.

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The Southeast Asian country is the world’s fastest-growing cashew nuts producer, according to the African Cashew Alliance.

Farmers say the rising production in Cambodia will affect Nigeria’s supply of the commodity, as Vietnam, a major buyer of Nigeria’s cashew, has constantly increased its imports from Cambodia owing to proximity and quality.

“Cambodia has consistently increased its yearly production and this is a threat to the demand for our cashew nuts by Vietnam,” said Thomas, responding to questions.