Senegal to process half of cashew output in 5 years

DAKAR, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Senegal plans to locally process at least half of the cashew harvested in the country within the next five years to revitalize this agricultural sector, Minister of Industry and Commerce Serigne Gueye Diop has said.

"We can no longer continue exporting raw materials without gaining any industrial benefit. It is high time we made a strategic shift toward local processing. Our goal is to process at least 50 percent of the national cashew production within five years," the minister told a meeting dedicated to the launch of the 2025 cashew marketing campaign in Ziguinchor, southern Senegal.

"In recent years, Senegal has increasingly benefited from the wealth generated by cashew nuts," he said, adding that in 2024, the country exported 79,076 tons of raw cashew nuts, generating over 52 billion CFA francs (about 90 million U.S. dollars).

According to the minister, 84 percent of the exports went to India and 16 percent headed for Vietnam.

He also announced the creation of a dedicated purchase window for industrial processors, starting from the next cashew marketing campaign, to "build up sufficient raw material stocks without depending on market fluctuations." Enditem