CashewGam Becomes First Gambian Company to Export Processed Nuts to U.S.

CashewGam, a Gambian cashew processor and ACA member, has just become the first Gambian company ever to export processed cashew to the United States. The Gambian-owned company has signed its first contract to supply a container of processed cashew to a major US buyer, and the shipment is now making its way across the Atlantic.

CashewGam opened its new factory in April 2014, following extensive Business Advisory assistance from ACA, covering areas including facility upgrade, equipment provision and staff training. ACA also helped CashewGam find a new General Manager – Mr. Antonio Caramelo Raposo, formerly the General Manager of highly successful Mozambican cashew processor Condor.

“ACA’s consultancy was very important, particularly in the first year,” says Mr. Raposo. “We were initially faced with two main challenges: firstly, to increase the quantity of output, through improving the machinery; and secondly, to increase the productivity of the staff, through training.”

With its new, state of the art factory employing 175 people, CashewGam is now the main employer for the Gambian village of Brikama. This first international sale bodes very well for the future of the company, and for the Gambian cashew sector as a whole.

“This is very important for Gambia,” says Mr. Raposo. “Gambia consistently produces very good quality kernels, and now it is time for Gambia to begin adding value domestically, and to expand the industry.”

With the expectation of more buyers on the horizon, CashewGam, with a current processing capacity of 3,000 MT, is planning further upgrades to its machinery with a view to achieving year-round processing within 2 years.

Outside of machinery upgrades, Mr. Raposo sees the biggest challenge in CashewGam’s future to be securing sufficient working capital to finance the purchase of ever-increasing amounts of kernels. “Our continuing success depends on financing the purchase of raw materials,” he says. “In Mozambique, the government helped our factory get a loan from the bank, but this is not so easy in Gambia.”

With the ACA’s Business Advisory team presently helping CashewGam to reshape its business plan with a view to securing more financing for this purpose, the future looks very bright indeed.

ACA Business Advisory Manager Sunil Dahiya, who has worked closely with CashewGam throughout its expansion, comments, “It is always wonderful to see a company making its first strides into the international market, especially when they are the first in the nation to do so. It is clear that this first international sale marks the beginning of a major new period in CashewGam’s history, and we are very proud to be a part of it. I am greatly looking forward to continuing to work with CashewGam as they continue to grow.”