In the past decade, the cashew industry in Guinea experienced significant growth. However, substantial price declines in the international market negatively impacted local markets. Farmers have been choosing to preserve their stocks while waiting for a possible improvement in market prices, rather than selling their crops at a loss. This has led to poor sales for local traders.
To address the challenge of cashew commercialization, the Siguiri Agriculture Development Activity (SADA) collaborated with local partners, including Diaouné et Frères, to train producer organizations in standards and quality management.
SADA was funded by USAID and Société AngloGold Ashanti de Guinée. Implemented by ACDI/VOCA, SADA applied a private sector-led approach to increase opportunities for people in Guinea affected by mining activities in the Siguiri prefecture. That included opportunities in the cashew nut industry.
In addition to offering training, the effort has helped organize cashew trade fair exchange trips for farmer leaders in the Kankan and Boké regions. This has facilitated knowledge sharing between traders and farmers and created commercial links with major buyers to encourage farmers to sell their products.
Bangaly Camara, a SADA participant and member of the Sinignassi producer organization in Setiguiyah, buys cashews from small, local producers and sells them to large traders. Through these activities, he has sold 125 tons of cashew nuts, totaling GNF 487,500,000 (USD 56,065), despite the current global crisis in the cashew sector. SADA’s technical team supported negotiations between Camara and a major Kankan trader through two marketing contracts that both parties successfully executed.
“I haven’t sold my cashew stocks for two years because buyers were offering me too low a price. With the help of SADA’s technical team, my sell price went from GNF 2,500 per kilogram up to GNF 5,000 per kilogram.”
Bangaly Camara, a member of the Sinignassi producer organization
SADA continued to offer support and opportunities to farmers to facilitate the sale of small producers’ cashew stocks. Before concluding in the spring of 2023, SADA worked in seven localities in the target zones to support cashew nut industry stakeholders through the operationalization of collection points. This helped increase members’ income through group sales of cashew stocks at competitive prices.
Learn more about the Siguiri Agricultural Development Activity.
Learn more about our work in Guinea.
