Tanzania processes only 50,000 tonnes of cashew, says minister

Dodoma. Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade Ms Stella Manyanya said on Friday that Tanzania currently processes only 50,000 tonnes of cashew using the existing industries.

Ms Manyanya said Tanzania has a total of 34 cashew nut processing factories with an installed capacity of 73,010 tonnes per annum but not all were operating.

She said there were 18 large and mid-sized factories but only 13 were operating.

She also said the country has 16 other small factories but only nine of them were active.

"The government has convinced traders to build processing plants and so far three large-scale raw cashew traders are ready to do so," said Ms Manyanya.

She mentioned the traders as Al Andalus Company Company Ltd (Lindi); Mkemi Agrix Company and Fuzzy International Company (both in Mkuranga).

Ms Manyanya responding to a question asked by Ms Abdallah Chikota (Nanyamba-CCM) who wanted the government strategies to increase local processing of the traditional cash crop.

Mr Chikota also said the government should remove some taxes as a way of attracting investors.

Tanzania production of cashew nuts ranges between 200,000 and 300,000 tonnes per year and large part of it is exported in raw form.