Tanzania eyes 400,000 tonnes of cashews during next season

Mtwara. The Cashewnut Board of Tanzania (CBT) warned yesterday that it would take legal action against any individual who sabotages the process of supplying cashew nuts inputs to farmers as it targets to raise production to 400,000 tonnes during the 2022/23 season.

Attaining the 400,000 tonne production target would signify a 69 percent increase compared to 236,213 tonnes of cashew nuts that was produced in the 2021/22 season.

CBT chairman Brigadier General (rtd) Aloyce Mwanjile said the 400,000 tonnes target was attainable, warning responsible officials against the tendency of diverting agro-inputs to private traders.

“People should take note. I may be retired but not tired. You will know our true colours if you sabotage this process,” he warned officials during the official launch of the inputs supplying process among regions that produce cashew nuts in the country.

He said all inputs have been labelled and given batch numbers for easy tracing.

During the 2022/23 cashew nut season, the government has directed that 25,000 tonnes of sulphur dust and 1.5 million litres of liquid inputs should be given to farmers for free.

He said so far a total of 4,460 tonnes of sulphur dust has already reached the country and that out of it, 1336 tonnes have been received at CBT warehouses.

Similarly, the country has already received 85 percent of its liquid inputs demand.

He urged cooperative unions that have been mandated with the task of transporting inputs to farmers to ensure that they conduct the job in a trustworthy manner.

He urged farmers to ensure that they sign special forms which show details of the amount of inputs they will receive.

“There will be no mercy for saboteurs,” he warned.

The chairman of the committee that deals with the receiving and supplying cashew nuts inputs, Mr Joseph Bukalasa echoed similar sentiments, reiterating that not a single bottle of sulphur dust or liquid would disappear.

Mtwara Regional Commissioner Brigadier General Marco Gaguti, who spoke on behalf of all regions that produce raw cashew nuts in the country, urged all leaders from district to regional levels to observe ethics and discipline in the process of delivering the inputs to farmers across the regions.

Last year, the government delivered free cashew nuts inputs to farmers and production increased by 10 percent.

A researcher from Tanzania Agriculture Research Institute (Tari), Dr Wilson Nene, said that the inputs had arrived in time and that farmers in all regions have been given training on proper use of them.