Research is highly relevant in the cashew industry – CICC Executive Director

Executive Director of the Consultative International Cashew Council (CICC), Andre Tandjekpon, has called on stakeholders of the cashew industry to consider research key to the future of the industry in Africa.

According to him, research plays a crucial role in what will become of the cashew industry soon, explaining that prioritizing it will make the industry stronger.

Speaking on a panel discussion on the topic, Policies and their impact on cashew trade, at the 14th African Cashew Alliance (ACA) Annual Cashew Conference, Wednesday, he explained that an irrefutable reason behind the blooming cashew industry in India and Vietnam is the huge investment these countries made into research.

He believed there is a need for deliberate efforts and major investments into research aimed at improving seed quality, increasing production as well as significantly increasing the rate of processing in Africa.

“Research is highly relevant in cashew processing. India is what it is today because of in-depth research,” he said.

According to him, the CICC is committed to encouraging research within the cashew industry in Africa and beyond and is collaborating with research institutions and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in that regard. 

The Consultative International Cashew Council is the inter-ministerial body of cashew producing and processing countries in charge of cashew in Africa. They liaise with governments in formulating policies to regulate the cashew industry both at the national levels and at the regional level.   

The ACA Cashew conference is an annual conference that brings onboard experts and industry players across the world to learn, share experiences, and address major issues concerning production, processing, and consumption of cashew in Africa and beyond.

This year’s cashew conference, the 14th edition, was originally scheduled to be hosted physically in Ghana however due to the outbreak of COVID19, it is being held fully online.

The virtual conference started on Wednesday the 9th of September 2020 with an opening ceremony and a panel discussion and will end on Friday the 11th of September 2020.  Participants may join the conference on Zoom (Webinar ID: 935 2341 4110

Passcode: aca2020), FACEBOOK (African Cashew Alliance), YouTube (African Cashew Alliance), or on the official ACA website.