Cashew Farmers Oppose Export Ban, Cite Threat To Livelihoods

The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) has strongly opposed fresh calls by a group of processors for restrictions on raw cashew nut exports, warning that such measures would harm farmers and contradict government policies.

In a statement signed by its President, Dr. Joseph Ajanaku, the association emphasised that farmers remain the foundation of Nigeria’s cashew industry, adding that any export ban would drive down farm-gate prices and push smallholder growers deeper into poverty.

While affirming support for value addition, NCAN insisted that industrial growth should not come at the expense of farmers. It identified high energy costs, poor infrastructure, and limited access to affordable financing as the real challenges facing local processors.

The group noted that existing funding channels such as the National Agricultural Development Fund, the Bank of Industry, and Central Bank intervention programmes were available but called for the creation of special agro-processing loans at interest rates of five percent or lower to boost competitiveness.

NCAN further warned that restricting exports would breach Nigeria’s obligations under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), discourage investment, and fuel smuggling.

The association also highlighted the rollout of its Farmers Mapper App, which provides real-time agricultural data and serves as a planning tool for stakeholders across the cashew value chain.

“Processors are partners, not adversaries. But industrial growth must be driven by government-backed incentives and innovation, not by punishing the very farmers who sustain Nigeria’s cashew economy,” Ajanaku stated.