• New CFA9.74 billion cashew plant boosts local processing capacity

• Raw nut supply remains tight despite rising industrial capacity

• Government tests export curbs to support domestic processors

Burkina Faso has commissioned a new cashew nut processing plant in Bobo-Dioulasso. The project supports the expansion of local processing in one of the country’s main agricultural exports. President Ibrahim Traoré inaugurated the facility on December 20.

The plant, known as Burkina Cajou, represents an investment of CFA9.74 billion ($17.4 million). While led by the private sector, the project received financial support covering about 25% of its cost through public and development-linked mechanisms, including the Burkina Faso Council of Agropastoral and Fisheries Value Chains (CBF), the Dumu Ka Fa Fund, FBDES, and the Commercial Bank of Burkina Faso.

With an installed capacity of 150,000 tons per year, the facility is the latest addition to Burkina Faso’s cashew processing segment. It follows another project launched in May, when President Traoré broke ground on a cashew apple processing plant in Péni, in the Hauts-Bassins region. That CFA6.65 billion ($11.5 million) project, promoted by the CBF, is designed to process 5,000 tons of cashew apples annually into products such as juice, wine, vinegar, and alcohol.

Pushing value addition in an export-led sector

The rollout of new processing plants is lifting industrial capacity, but it also brings into focus a long-standing challenge: securing a steady supply of raw cashew nuts. Exports of unprocessed nuts remain more profitable, and industry sources say many local factories are forced to shut down periodically due to shortages of raw material.

In 2024, independent agribusiness advisory firm N’kalô estimated that Burkina Faso processed only about 16,000 tons of cashew nuts, or roughly 10% of national output. This is despite installed processing capacity of around 30,000 tons since 2021, based on official figures. As a result, cashew kernels, the main processed product, still account for a limited share of export earnings. Trade Map data show that Burkina Faso exported about $111.5 million worth of cashew nuts and related products in 2024, with kernel sales representing just 11% of the total.

Regulation under test

To improve raw material access for domestic processors, the government suspended exports of raw cashew nuts in March 2025. The ban was lifted on May 20 after authorities said local factories had been adequately supplied, while warning that restrictions could be reinstated if domestic needs are no longer met.

This stop-and-go policy suggests Burkina Faso is experimenting with regulatory tools to support local processing without undermining export revenues. Whether this approach can deliver lasting results remains an open question, especially as new plants increase demand for raw cashew nuts.

Stéphanas Assocle