The event will serve as an opportunity to demonstrate the progress made in the cashew sector and attract investors to the industry.

It will be under the theme: “Projecting the Cashew Sector through local Consumption, Value Addition and Job Creation”.

Mr Yaw Oteng, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crops Development Authority, who announced this on Wednesday in Accra, said the conference would also host Cashew Research Dialogue and Fair.

The event, he said, would assemble ministers, experts, researchers and other players from eleven African countries to share ideas and discuss achievements, and identify gaps in research within the cashew industry.

Mr Oteng stated that hosting the conference demonstrated the country’s commitment towards harnessing the potentials in the sector to grow its economy and improve livelihood.
He said much of the cashews produced in the country were exported leaving a small fraction processed and that the conference would showcase the country as the preferred destination for processing of the commodity.

“For last year alone, this country exported cashew worth 300,000 metric tons mostly to Vietnam and India generating about 400 million dollars. Only 30,000 MT was processed in country,” he said.

Mr Oteng stated that the country’s capacity to process half of the exported cashew could generate more income, create jobs, improve livelihoods and boost the economy.

He urged all stakeholders to participate in the upcoming event to learn about new trends in the sector.

The Deputy Chief Executive said although the sector was facing challenges, including climate change and illegal mining, the government and the World Bank were supporting initiatives to replant cashews.

CICC is an international organisation with legal capacity and financial autonomy responsible for promoting the sustainable development of cashew in the world.

Established on the November 18, 2016 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the CICC aims to create a consultation framework and synergies between member states for a sustainable cashew sector.

The Organisation aims to provide a framework for consultation and to promote the development of the cashew sector in Member States through the coordination of policies and cooperation between States.

To date, eleven countries are members of the CICC. They are; Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo.