• Cashew kernel exports rose 52% to 72,000 tons in 2024

• Processing capacity surged with over 35 plants and $440M export earnings

• New investments aim to process 50% of harvest by 2030
  

Côte d'Ivoire’s exports of cashew kernels jumped 52% to 72,000 metric tons in 2024, according to the latest foreign trade data from the national Customs Directorate. The volume is more than five times the 13,500 tons shipped in 2020, underscoring the sector’s rapid expansion.

The surge reflects a major scale-up in the country’s cashew processing industry. Official data show that domestic production of cashew kernels more than tripled over four years, rising from 103,103 tons in 2020 to 344,000 tons in 2024. This growth follows years of strong public and private investment, during which the number of active processing plants increased from 17 to more than 35 between 2016 and 2024, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Key international operators include Singapore’s Olam and Dorado Ivory, Vietnam’s Quang Thien Imex, as well as leading Ivorian firms such as Ecocajou, Eden Foods, and Geppa Industries.

Higher earnings have accompanied the rise in export volumes. In 2024, Côte d'Ivoire generated about USD 440.5 million (249.1 billion XOF) in cashew kernel export revenue, nearly double the previous year and six times the USD 65.2 million recorded in 2020.

Despite recent gains, processed kernels still account for roughly 30% of the cashew sector’s total export income, which reached nearly 728.1 billion XOF in 2024. As in most African producing countries, raw nuts continue to dominate shipments.

Outlook for Increased Local Processing

The share of processed kernels is expected to grow further. Since early 2025, two new processing plants have come online. The first, in Attiengué, is operated by Singapore-based Valency International and has a capacity of 45,000 tons per year. The second, in Oussou, is run by fellow Singaporean group Robust International with a capacity of 37,440 tons per year.

Meanwhile, the Cotton and Cashew Council (CCC) is working with local and foreign investors to develop new industrial projects aimed at increasing national processing capacity. The effort is aligned with the government’s target of processing 50% of the country’s cashew harvest by 2030.

During the Cashew Sector Investment Forum held on September 23, 2024, in Abidjan, the CCC secured investment commitments from three international companies totaling USD 28 million for new processing projects. A month later, in November 2024, the council concluded an agreement with Emirati group Rosyson, which plans to invest USD 24 million in a new processing facility.

Once implemented, these projects are expected to raise domestic kernel output further and expand the volumes available for export.

Stéphanas Assocle