Innovating the Cashew Value Chain

© Kapongola Nganyanyuka
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Tanzania is one of the world's top cashew producers (about 75% of East Africa's output), with cashews providing income for hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers, mostly in coastal regions. More than 80% of raw cashew nuts (RCN) get shipped to India or Vietnam for processing, and even local processors often buy at low farm-gate prices. This project flips that script by localizing value addition, improving Good Agricultural Practices and cutting out middlemen.

The Innovating the Cashew Value Chain Project, implemented by CARE Tanzania in collaboration with Biotan Group Limited and Duga Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (Duga AMCOS), was designed to accelerate inclusive, sustainable, and locally driven economic growth in the Tanzanian cashew sector. The project focused on supporting smallholder farmers particularly women in Mkinga District, Tanga Region, through improved market linkages, local processing, and collective investment. By promoting Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), strengthening AMCOS, and integrating value addition and gender-transformative approaches, the project aimed to foster a more profitable and climate- resilient cashew ecosystem.

Achievements at Glance

  • Productivity Gains: Average raw cashew nut yield per acre increased by 79%, from 205 kg at baseline to 367 kg at endline. Male farmers’ yields rose from 261 kg to 467 kg, and female farmers from 150 kg to 268 kg.
  • Income and Market Integration: Average annual income from cashew farming increased by 82%, from TZS 252,279 to TZS 458,149, with enhanced prices (from TZS 500 to TZS 2,680/kg) attributed to improved quality, GAP adoption, organic certification, and better access to structured markets through AMCOS and Biotan.
  • Women’s Empowerment: 55.8% of women adopted at least one GAP, 78.6% participated in VSLAs, and 35.8% engaged in collective investments. Reported improvements in household decision-making and income control reflect meaningful shifts in gender norms.
  • Institutional Strengthening: Duga AMCOS transformed into a professional, year-round cooperative, increasing its membership, improving governance, and expanding services to farmers, supported by a public-private collaboration with Biotan and CARE.

Innovating Cashew Value Chain Achievements

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Project Stories and Impact

Mwasiti's Story

Mwasiti Mfaume Sarai aged 37 years, had always dreamed of being a successful farmer. This is her story.

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The Transformational Journey of Hussein

This is the story of how Hussein's life changed after CARE's intervention through the Innovating Cashew Value Chain

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Sustaining Impact Beyond Projects

Short documentary

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From a homemaker to a thriving farmer

The project aimed to empower cashew nut farmers like her to improve their yields and income by providing them with training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) through the Farmer Field and Business School (FFBS)

February 5, 2024
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Documentary video

This film depicts how CARE Tanzania began the Innovating the Cashew Value Chain Project in the Tanga Region's Mkinga district.

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Project Resources

Learning brief – Innovating Cashew Value Chain Project

This brief contains lessons that can be applied by other projects or organizations with similar context