• Cashew kernel processing reached 732,000 tons across West Africa in 2025

• Côte d’Ivoire accounted for more than 80% of processed volumes

• Gains remain concentrated in three countries, with uneven progress elsewhere

Cashew processing expanded sharply across West Africa in 2025, with volumes converted into kernels rising to an estimated 732,000 tons, according to preliminary figures from independent commodities consultancy N’kalô. The data were published on Feb 3, in a market bulletin on African raw materials.

The total represents a 51% increase from the 483,500 tons processed a year earlier. The surge, however, masks wide disparities across producing countries. N’kalô data show that the growth was driven almost entirely by three producers—Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Ghana—while processing activity stagnated or declined elsewhere in the region.

Côte d’Ivoire dominates regional processing

Côte d’Ivoire remained the driver of regional growth. In 2025, the country processed about 600,000 tons of cashew nuts, up 67% year on year. This volume alone accounted for nearly 82% of total cashew kernel production in West Africa.

While N’kalô does not explicitly detail the drivers behind this performance, several factors provide context. According to the Cotton, Cashew, and Shea Council, stronger enforcement against smuggling improved local availability of raw cashew nuts for processors in 2025.

At the same time, the announcement by the United States of higher tariffs on processed products dampened demand from Asian buyers, particularly in India and Vietnam, which traditionally source raw cashew nuts from Côte d’Ivoire. The easing of foreign demand reduced competition for raw material on the domestic market, indirectly benefiting local processors.

Benin posts record growth, Ghana lags

Benin emerged as the second-largest contributor to the regional increase. The country processed an estimated 50,000 tons of cashew kernels in 2025, double the volume recorded the previous year, according to N’kalô. This marked a new record for the Beninese industry, well above the previous five-year peak of 13,000 tons reached in 2020.

The performance reflects a deliberate policy shift. Since April 2024, Benin has banned the export of raw cashew nuts, aiming to secure supply for domestic processors and increase value addition along the supply chain. The approach contrasts with Côte d’Ivoire’s model, which relies on exclusive purchasing windows reserved for local processors during the marketing season.

Ghana, by contrast, remains a minor player in processing. The country is estimated to have processed 15,000 tons of cashew nuts in 2025, up 7% year on year, but still below the five-year high of 16,000 tons. The sector continues to face structural constraints, including limited access to raw materials, which are often prioritized for export in unprocessed form, and a regulatory framework less focused on promoting local processing than those in Côte d’Ivoire and Benin.

Overall, the sharp rise in processing volumes in 2025 is expected to strengthen value creation within West Africa’s cashew sector. The challenge now will be to sustain this momentum in the coming years, as countries continue to navigate uneven policy frameworks, access to raw materials, and investment constraints.

Stéphanas Assocle