Tanzania expresses confidence in meeting ambitious 700,000-tonne cashew harvest

CBT Director General Francis Alfred told The Citizen that current farm conditions were promising, raising hopes that the ambitious target could be achieved.

“If no major climate disruptions affect the crop, we should reach the target we have set,” he said.

To support the expected bumper harvest, the government is boosting logistics, with an estimated 8.75 million sacks required and 800,000 already delivered.

Large cooperatives and private stakeholders are building new storage facilities, while CBT is completing two warehouses at the Maranje Industrial Park in Mtwara, each with a 10,000-tonne capacity.

Mr Alfred said the park was being equipped with roads, water and electricity to attract investors.

“By the end of this season, we hope raw cashew nuts will be stored in these warehouses. We are encouraging investors to set up processing factories, and the government also plans its own plant,” he added.

For the 2025/26 season, the Tanzania Mercantile Exchange (TMX) online platform will again ensure transparent and efficient sales, as was the case in the previous trading year.

Preliminary information from the Ports Authority suggests that more shipping companies will transport cashews from Mtwara this year than last season.

On value addition, Mr Alfred noted that domestic processing rose from five percent in 2021/22 to 24 percent in 2024/25. He credited the increase to government measures such as improved access to raw materials, support for small processors in Tandahimba and Newala, and investments in industrial hubs.

Historic milestone in sight

Tanzania, East Africa’s leading cashew producer and second in Africa after Ivory Coast, is gearing up for a bumper 2025/26 season that opens in mid-October.

The projected 700,000-tonne output would set a new national record and enhance the country’s competitiveness in global markets.

The African Cashew Alliance’s September 2025 report projects a 33 percent increase on last year’s record 528,000 tonnes, strengthening Tanzania’s standing in markets dominated by Ivory Coast, India and Cambodia.

In the year ending June 2025, the cashew exports more than doubled to $531.8 million from $225.6 million previously, accounting for the largest share of the agricultural exports, according to the Bank of Tanzania report for the period.

Cashew production has fluctuated over the past decade. Output more than doubled from 155,244 tonnes in 2015 to 313,826 tonnes in 2017, before dropping to 210,000 tonnes in 2022.

Recovery began in 2023, reaching 528,000 tonnes last year. Officials attribute this growth to orchard expansion, subsidies and improved technologies.

In 2020, cashew farms covered 811,700 hectares, mainly in Mtwara, Lindi, Ruvuma, Tanga and Coast regions.

Cultivation has since expanded to 13 more regions, including Morogoro, Dodoma and Singida, in an effort to stabilise production and reduce climate-related risks.

Seedling distribution remains a central plank of the strategy, with nearly 240,000 subsidised seedlings supplied to farmers in the 2023/24 season, alongside fertiliser and pesticides.

The fertiliser subsidy programme has also been transformative, with national consumption rising 84 percent from 457,855 tonnes in 2019/20 to 840,000 tonnes in 2023/24, benefiting cashew growers.

Marketing reforms

Marketing reforms have strengthened the sector. The TMX auction system, introduced in the 2024/25 season, has allowed farmers to secure better export prices and sustain production interest.

“This system stabilises prices and aligns producer incentives with market demand,” said a Ministry of Agriculture official who requested anonymity.

Despite rising output, Tanzania processes only a fraction of its cashew harvest. In 2024, just 24 percent of cashews were processed locally, compared with nearly 80 percent of Africa’s installed capacity in Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Benin.

To close the gap, the Maranje agro-industrial park is under construction and is expected to host processing plants capable of handling 600,000 tonnes annually.

Once operational, the facility is expected to retain more income and jobs locally. But for now, Tanzania remains heavily reliant on RCN exports.

Farmers’ outlook

In producing regions, farmers are cautiously optimistic. At Chikolopora Village, Mr Edward Mahelela said harvesting had begun, though erratic weather had dampened expectations.

“Last season, we sold RCN at between Sh3,600 and Sh4,020 per kilo, which was reasonable. This year, we expect similar rates to sustain production,” he told The Citizen by phone.

In Nyangao Village, Lindi Region, Mr Mohamed Chilumba noted that, while inputs had improved, delays in packaging and transport persisted.

Producing five to seven tonnes annually, he stressed that long-term growth depended on consistent pricing and reliable farmer support.

For her part, Ms Agnes Namwala from Nanjota Village said she feared a poor harvest this year due to insufficient rainfall.

“The government distributed inputs on time last season and this one. The remaining challenge is to ensure farmers receive fair prices after huge losses in sesame and pigeon peas, which shockingly fell to Sh500 per kilo,” Ms Namwala pleaded.

Stakeholders agree that the 2025/26 season will be pivotal. If the projected 700,000 tonnes is realised, Tanzania will cement its position as a leading global supplier.

Yet without stronger value addition, the country risks remaining an exporter of raw commodities.

The government is banking on Maranje Industrial Park to transform Tanzania from a raw producer to a value-adding processor.

For now, farmers remain focused on immediate returns, underscoring the delicate balance between policy, global demand and rural livelihoods.