ACA Helps Expand Knowledge and Skills of Cashew Stakeholders

In collaboration with ACi, ACA organized the third session of the Master Training Program (MTP) in Sunyani, Ghana. The Master Training Program aims to reinforce and expand the knowledge of the cashew sector stakeholders from producers to buyers, including both public and private service providers such as researchers, extension officers, NGOs, and others, and began in December 2013 in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso with the first of three sessions. The second session took place in Bouaké in April, and the final session occurred from 14 to 19 July 2014 in Sunyani, Ghana.  This session was attended by the Deputy General Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fishing of Benin and the General Secretary of the Minister of Trade and Industry of Ghana. In total, more than 60 participants were awarded with a certificate of participation in this Program, which is the first of its nature in the cashew sector in West Africa. 

This third session was focused on the sector organization, the economies of farming and processing, and research and innovation to improve planting material for new plantations and low-yield tree grafting. Participants at this stage had gained a deep awareness and understanding of the cashew value chain.

Olivier Kabre, the ACA's partnership liaison, presented the organization's structure and discussed how the ACA Secretariat promotes the productivity of the cashew value chain by providing services to its members, such as business advisory, international standards and requirements, and dissemination of marketing information.  Participants showed a deep interest in the ACA's presentation and most were curious about the ACA's impact on the sector. Many participants asked for a follow-up in their countries for sector organization, business advisory, market linkages, and market information data collection. 

The ACA's Business Advisor, Sunil Dahiya, presented an analysis of Cashew Processing Business Economics on 15 July. During the presentation, Dahiya shared insights on business assumptions, timing, cost, pricing, investment calculation, and key decisions to make for the benefit of investment promoters. The MTP participants seemed to benefit greatly from the presentation and many interesting questions were raised and answered, ultimately improving the sector-wide knowledge about the economics of cashew production and processing. 

Project Coordinator Miriam Gyamfi did a presentation on the Nutritional Value of Cashew and clarified questions of the elasticity of cashew prices and the influence of consumer preference. She highlighted the nutritional aspects of cashew consumption and emphasized the high number of health benefits resulting from an inclusion of cashew kernel into the daily diet.

On 17 July, during the field trip to several cashew farms, the MTP participants and the ACA team learned a great deal about good farming practices, commercial farm management, and relevant research.

Finally, on 18 July, ACA's Managing Director, Roger Brou, expressed his excitement and appreciation for the hard work of the trainees in a speech that closed out the training.  He also signed and distributed several of the certificates of completion.