Ksh2.8B cashew nut project to benefit 10,500 farmers in Kilifi

• The county has designated 5,000 acres in Chakama for cashew nut farming, where locals will be allocated land to cultivate the crop which was once a key economic driver

By Zablon Oyugi

yuzablon@gmail.com

An Italian company is poised to invest up to Ksh2.8 billion in Kilifi County’s cashew nut value chain, a move that may benefit 10,500 local farmers.

Governor Gideon Mung’aro said the national government has given the Italian investors the green light to invest in the cashew nut value chain, in a deal brokered by President William Ruto last December.

“The investors needed a letter and when we met the President, he directed the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs to write it. The Ksh 2.8 billion project will help 10,500 farmers start growing cashew nuts in the county,” Mung’aro told the State media, KBC.

The county has designated 5,000 acres in Chakama for cashew nut farming, where local farmers will be allocated land to cultivate the crop. Additionally, support will be provided to those growing cashew nuts on their own farms, enabling them to sell their produce to investors. These investors will focus on processing and exporting the nuts, he said.

“When the investors arrive, they won’t be involved in cultivation. Instead, we will allocate land to local people for farming, while the investors will purchase, process, and export the nuts,” explained the county boss.

Governor Mung’aro has reportedly disbursed Ksh21 million to 23 savings and credit co-operative societies (SACCOs) and an additional Ksh4.5 million to farmer producer groups under the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP).

He has also witnessed the signing of various memoranda of understanding between beneficiary groups and NAVCDP officials.

Mung’aro urged SACCOs under NAVCDP to adopt modern technology for efficient financial management, adding that the county administration has taken significant steps to boost co-operatives.

“We are committed to creating a favourable environment for co-operatives across all sectors. We have already made key strides, including publishing a County Co-operative Bill,” he stated.

This investment aims to revitalise the cashew nut sector, once a key economic driver in the coastal region but now struggling due to years of neglect.

Farmers in the county called on the government to allocate an additional 100,000 acres for cashew nut cultivation.

“This crop needs to expand its orchard size from the current 33,732 acres to at least 170,000 acres. To meet global demand, we must establish over 500 million trees in the next three years,” said Jonathan Bugo, a local farmer.