• Kenya launched a cashew revival plan based on improved seedlings and farmer support.

• Cashew production fell 13% to 7,803 tonnes in 2024, far below 2014 levels.

• Processing capacity stands at 45,000 tonnes, creating structural overcapacity.

In Kenya, Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister Mutahi Kagwe unveiled a cashew sector recovery plan on January 8. According to a statement published on his X account, the strategy relies on the multiplication and distribution of improved cashew seedlings and structured farmer support. The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, based in Mtwapa in Kilifi County, will lead the program.

Kagwe said researchers have already developed a new high-yield cashew variety that shows tolerance to diseases. Authorities will distribute 20,000 seedlings during the upcoming long rains season. The program will also deploy four additional improved varieties within six months.

The Agriculture and Food Authority and county governments will coordinate seedling multiplication and distribution. The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service and agricultural extension services will provide technical support.

“Farmers will also receive support on good agricultural practices, including proper spacing, intercropping with coconut and mango trees, and rejuvenation grafting to rehabilitate aging orchards,” Kagwe said, according to People Daily.

A Processing Sector With Excess Capacity

The Agriculture Ministry aims to boost export revenues from a sector that has weakened over the past decade. Data compiled by the Agriculture and Food Authority showed cashew output declined 13% to 7,803 tonnes in 2024. Production remained three times lower than the 22,140 tonnes recorded in 2014.

Industry stakeholders identified several factors behind the decline. Farmers cited rising pest and disease pressure, deforestation practices, and waning interest among producers.

“A major threat to the existing cashew population comes from large-scale tree felling for firewood, used both by households and industries, which has overshadowed replanting efforts,” the Agriculture and Food Authority said in its 2025 annual sector report. “In addition, low farm-gate prices for cashew nuts discouraged farming communities in producing regions, leading to disinterest in the crop. As a result, many farms were abandoned.”

Official data estimated Kenya’s installed cashew processing capacity at 45,000 tonnes. Weak raw nut production places the sector in a state of overcapacity. This imbalance prevents the industry from fully capturing value added that higher raw material availability could generate.

It remains unclear whether the new Agriculture Ministry strategy will deliver tangible results in the coming years. In Kenya, small artisanal workshops and semi-industrial units such as East River Foods EPZ and Nuts and More Processing EPZ process most harvested cashew nuts locally. Processors mainly supply the domestic market. Exporters ship a smaller share as raw nuts or blended dried fruit products, according to the Agriculture and Food Authority.

This article was initially published in French by Stéphanas Assocle

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum