Posted on March, 13, 2025 at 12:30 pm
Agricultural Non-State Actors Forum (ANSAF) have allocated USD 350,000 (923.45mn/-) to support 1,000 farmers involved in cashew value chain in Mtwara and Lindi regions.
Through a project dubbed: ‘Women's Empowerment through Collective Cashew Processing and Marketing for Improved Livelihoods in Southern Tanzania- (CASH WIN) farmers will be supported to realize better yields.
Ikunda Terry, ANSAF Executive Director said yesterday that the project is currently funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through a program called "Beyond Collective Farming" (BFC).
The CASH-WIN ANSAF’s project aims to enhance local processing capabilities of the women-led enterprises in Lindi and Mtwara.
ANSAF believes that cashews have the potential to substantially improve livelihoods of participating smallholder farmers and contribute to Tanzania's economy.
He said that ANSAF acknowledges the role of Women in Agriculture whereas approximately 98 percent of rural women classified as economically active are engaged in agriculture.
Nationally, up to 81 percent of the female population in Tanzania works in agriculture. This is higher than the regional average of 55 percent in sub-Saharan Africa.
Additionally, ANSAF understands that Women in Tanzania play a vital role in agriculture, contributing to food production, household income, and community development.
Women are involved in all aspects of agriculture, from farming, livestock keeping and fishing to processing, value addition and marketing. That’s why ANSAF has allocated these funds to support farmers in those regions.
He says the Cashew value chain holds a significant position in Tanzania's agricultural landscape and economy, engaging over 600,000 smallholder farmers in both cultivation and processing activities.
The country produces more than 300,000 metric tons of raw cashew nuts (RCN) annually, with the Southeast regions of Mtwara, Lindi, and Ruvuma contributing approximately 80 percent of this production.
This is why ANSAF has directed the CASH-WIN project to Southeast regions of Mtwara and Lindi.
Despite earning $ 1 billion from cashew exports, a substantial 87 percent of the produced cashews are exported in raw form, underscoring the untapped potential for local processing while at the same time women are left far behind on value addition aspects.
The Cashew Board of Tanzania (CBT) envisions increasing cashew production to 1 million MT and processing 100 percent of all RCN by 2030.
However, the sector faces challenges including inefficiencies, outdated technology, limited market access, and insufficient advocacy for a conducive business environment. To address these challenges ANSAF has begun to empower women Processors through capacity building activities, financial inclusion, market access, and stakeholder collaboration.
In this phase, ANSAF has begun to work with KITAMA and WAKORU cashew farmer’s processors associations in Tandahimba and Ruangwa respectively, whereby Resources are allocated towards building processing capacity, financial inclusion initiatives, market development, and advocacy efforts.
Among key activities that are currently implemented by ANSAF in these two Districts include Renovation and equipping of two processing centers and construction of one new cashew processing facility that will be fully equipped with processing machines.
This activity will go parallel with capacity building of Leaders, operators and entire members.
Source: IPP