Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe during a visit to cashew nut farmers and processors in Kilifi County/HANDOUT
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has moved
to revive the country’s ailing cashew nut industry.
Speaking during a visit to cashew nut farmers and
processors in Kilifi County, he pointed out that years of declining production
have cost the country jobs, incomes and export earnings.
This, the CS stated, is happening despite the
continual rise of the global demand for the crop.
Kenya currently produces only about 13,000 tonnes of
cashew nuts annually, far below its installed processing capacity of 45,000
tonnes.
Kagwe said this gap has denied the economy hundreds of
thousands of potential jobs and pushed farmers out of a crop that once anchored
livelihoods along the Coast.
Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) estimate that a
fully revived cashew industry could create up to 350,000 jobs across farming,
processing, transport and exports.
The Authority also states that it could contribute
over Sh30 billion to GDP and restore cashew as a key income earner for coastal
communities.
Packed cashew nuts at a processing plant in Kilifi County/HANDOUT
Kagwe said years of falling production have eroded
livelihoods along the Coast, despite Kenya having suitable land, strong global
demand and underutilised processing capacity.
He was accompanied by the Director General of AFA, Bruno
Linyiru and, Director of Nuts and Oil Crops at AFA, Ann Gikonyo.
The CS said the government’s revival strategy is
anchored on science and farmer support, led by the Kenya Agricultural and
Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), particularly its Mtwapa Centre, which
focuses exclusively on cashew nut research.
Kagwe said KALRO Mtwapa has developed a new cashew
variety which is disease-tolerant and capable of doubling yields, with 20,000
seedlings of the improved variety already available for distribution during the
coming long rains.
He added that four additional improved varieties are
at advanced stages of development and will be ready within six months, directly
responding to farmer complaints on declining yields and disease.
“Farmers have complained about declining yields and
disease pressure. Research has responded, and the solutions are ready,” Kagwe
said.
Seedling multiplication and distribution are being
coordinated by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) in collaboration with
county governments, with support from KEPHIS and extension services, to ensure
quality assurance and last-mile delivery to farmers.
Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe mingles with workers during a visit to cashew nut farmers and processors in Kilifi County/HANDOUT
During engagements with farmers, the ministry
intensified sensitisation on good agronomic practices.
This includes the recommended spacing of 10 metres
by 10 metres and intercropping cashew with coconut and mango, a model that can
significantly raise incomes while improving climate resilience.
KALRO officials noted that top-grafting remains a
viable and faster option to rehabilitate ageing orchards and restore
productivity.
The CS questioned Kenya’s continued reliance on
imports despite the crop’s strong local potential.
“How can we be importing cashew nuts when our land is
idle, and our farmers are struggling?” he posed.
The delegation also engaged private sector players,
including East River Foods EPZ Limited (formerly Grow Fairly), which said the
country urgently needs to scale up production to match processing capacity.
East River Foods EPZ Limited ( formerly Grow Fairly )
told the CS it has invested about USD 3 million in the cashew value chain and
currently employs about 600 women in processing, while working with 15,000
farmers across the region.
However, only 3,000 farmers have 50 trees or more,
underscoring the low scale of production at the farm level.
The company noted that although about two million
seedlings have been distributed since 2017, access remains a challenge, with
farmers saying even the subsidised price of Sh30 per seedling is still unaffordable
for many households.
Processors also cited gaps in last-mile delivery,
calling for stronger coordination between national agencies and county
extension services.
Another processor, Nuts and More Processing (EA) EPZ
Ltd, established in 2021 and operational since 2023, said the insufficient supply
of raw cashew remains the biggest constraint.
The company has a processing capacity of 7,000 tonnes
on a single shift, expandable to 15,000 tonnes, but continues to operate below
capacity due to low domestic production.
Kagwe said the revival of the cashew industry will
require a whole-of-government approach, bringing together the Ministry of
Agriculture, KALRO, AFA, KEPHIS, county governments, farmers and private
sector.
He announced plans for a high-level meeting involving
all stakeholders to agree on a fast-tracked master plan to restore production,
stabilise supply for investors and rebuild farmer confidence “Cashew farmers, there is hope.We have heard you and
this time, we are moving with speed and seriousness,” the CS said.
Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe during a visit to cashew nut farmers and processors in Kilifi County/HANDOUT
Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe during a visit to cashew nut farmers and processors in Kilifi County/HANDOUT
A cashew nuts processing plant in Kilifi County/HANDOUT