We need incentives to drive cashew industrialisation, not bans — NCAN

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA — The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) has urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to adopt incentives that will drive cashew industrialisation rather than imposing bans that could cripple the sector.

In a statement signed by its President, Dr. Ojo Ajanaku, the association stressed the need to prioritise the welfare of cashew farmers and ensure policies that promote growth instead of restrictions.

According to Ajanaku, NCAN’s farmer-first industrialisation pathway should focus on:

Incentives for processors: provision of foreign exchange rebates, VAT and duty relief on equipment, and energy support.

Access to finance: creation of a Special Agro-Processing Loan Window (SAP-LW) at less than 5% interest, tied strictly to verified processing contracts via NCAN’s Farm Mapper.

Structured offtake: introduction of minimum offtake schemes to guarantee markets for farmers and supply processors.

On accountability, he disclosed that NCAN has developed a Farm Mapper app to enhance transparency, combat smuggling, and support regulated trade.

He further appealed to government to keep export channels open, insisting that farmers must have legal access to global buyers while domestic processing capacity develops.

“Nigeria can achieve cashew industrialisation by building with carrots, not sticks. Export bans only reward smugglers and punish farmers. Incentives, traceability, and finance will attract investment, create jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global cashew economy,” Ajanaku stated.

He warned that sudden restrictions or bans on raw cashew nut exports would collapse farm-gate prices, impoverish millions of smallholder farmers, fuel smuggling, weaken government revenue, and damage Nigeria’s reputation as a reliable trading partner.

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