1. 18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
Delivered Quality Of Raw Cashew Nut ACA’s Quality Enhancement Initiatives
Sunil Dahiya, Business Advisory Manager
African Cashew Alliance
18-20th February, 2016

2. About African Cashew Alliance (ACA)
18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
About African Cashew Alliance (ACA)
Established in 2006, with the support of founders, i.e. USAID, Development Agencies and Private Sector
An association of African and international businesses with an interest in promoting a globally competitive African cashew industry
Representing all aspects of the cashew value chain including producers, processors, traders, and international buyers

3. Mission & Vision Statement
18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
Mission & Vision Statement
Vision: A globally competitive African cashew industry that benefits the value chain – from farmer to consumer.
Mission: Support the African cashew industry by
providing technical assistance and facilitating investments
promoting market linkages and international standards
creating a global platform for sharing information and best practices
Objectives:
Increase processing
Improve competitiveness and sustainability
Facilitate public-private cooperation

4. World Cashew Value-Chain Geography
18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
World Cashew Value-Chain Geography
Source: ACA Annual Report, 2014

5. Global Raw Cashew Nut Quality Situation
18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
Global Raw Cashew Nut Quality Situation
Outturn – lbs Weight
Source: Industry Experts and players

6. Why RCN Quality is So Important?
18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
Why RCN Quality is So Important?
It is important to remember that the excellence and thoroughness of post harvest handling affects the quality of the product, which in turn affects the country's reputation for those products
Product quality influences the demand for those products on the world market, which in turn positively affects the price based on the quality of raw cashew nuts
Bottom-line: Better Quality Means “More Money”
Source: Industry Experts and players

7. Markets Requires Quality RCN
18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
Markets Requires Quality RCN
Dried nuts with 8 – 10% moisture content
Better nut-count and kidney shaped (>200 nuts/kg)
Shell Color - gray, dark grey, greenish or brownish
Healthy nuts - free from mould, etc.
Free from foreign materials, i.e. stones, leaves, metal piece, etc. (max tolerance 0.5%)
Matured nuts - maximum 15% defective are tolerable
Packed and stored in Jute Bags
48 lbs and above Outturn is quality grade while >43 lbs quality is poor grade and usually rejected
Source: ECOWAS RCN Specifications & Regulations, 2015

8. Quality Issues @ Farm Gate - Africa
18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
Quality Farm Gate - Africa
Cashew not yet taken as ‘Transformation Commodity’ rather as a bush-crop
Aged trees and seedlings of poor genetics resulting in poor yields ( kg/hect/season in Africa as against 1-1.7MT obtained in Vietnam, Brazil and India)
Minimal literacy and efforts on quality, organic and advanced farming
Less transparent price due to dependency on external final buyers
Limited outreach to market information, pricing trends and experts advise
Shrinking farmer’s encouragement initiatives; subsidized seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides, equipment and technical assistance
Source: ACA Sectorial Assessment and Industry Report, 2015

9. 18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
Quality Quick Fixes
Analyze and Improve the farm soil
Use high yield planting materials
Prompt irrigation with fertilizer usage
Regular cleaning and pruning
Chemical/Organic treatments for diseases
Stop bush-firing for cleaning purposes
Upgrade old cashew trees via ‘Top-Work’ technique
Sun-Dry harvested nuts
Practice Outturn testing prior to sales
Source: ACA Annual Reports and USAID-TIME Report, 2015

10. Our RCN Quality Enhancement Initiatives
18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
Our RCN Quality Enhancement Initiatives
TIME (Towards Inclusive Markets Everywhere) - Donor Supported Project
“Industry Alliances Working Together to Empower Poor Rural Women in the Cashew and Shea Sectors”
Joint grant awarded to African Cashew Alliance, Global Shea Alliance, and Borderless Alliance
Focus on improving product quality, increasing consumer awareness, and fostering market linkages in an effort to link rural women farmers to international value chains
Project Life: 2015 – 2017 (3 Yrs.)
Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria
Expected Impact: Create 2,000 new jobs; impact 120,000 small-scale cashew and shea farmers; generate $3 million in additional income each year
Source: USAID-TIME Report, 2015

11. Our RCN Quality Enhancement Initiatives
18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
Our RCN Quality Enhancement Initiatives
Farmers Trainings Initiative - Private Sector Project
Project Description: The program seeks to building the capacities of farmers in Ghana and Kenya through trainings on good farming techniques and the facilitation of market linkages with local processors
Project Life: 2015 – 2017 (3 Yrs.)
Countries: Ghana and Kenya
Implementing Partner: Self Help Africa
Expected impact: Improved income security of 35,000 smallholder farmers
Source: Walmart Farmers Training Annual Report, 2015

12. Our RCN Quality Enhancement Initiatives
18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
Our RCN Quality Enhancement Initiatives
2010, trained national farmers association (1,500+ farmer members) and CNC Field Officers in GAP and PHP
, trained Gambian and Senegalese farmer association (1,000+ farmer members) via IRD – Gambia & Senegal in “Quality Enhancement Practices & Commercial farming”
2012, TANECU farmer’s union reps (300+ farmer cooperative members) trained in “Outturn Testing” via UNIDO’s 3ADI project in Tanzania
2015, Kogi State’s 20+ farmer groups trained via NCAN initiatives
Since 2010 till date, 15+ assisted cashew processing companies Procurement Managers trained in “Procurement Management practices”
Since 2011 till date, ACA Seal program supporting processors in quality and traceability practices
Source: ACA Field Activities,

13. ACA’s Proposal to Quality Seekers & Partners
18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
ACA’s Proposal to Quality Seekers & Partners
Strengthened partnership with VINACAS, CEPCI and EMBRAPA for exporting RCN quality improvement as ‘African Quality facilitator’
Better cooperation with active donor programs across Africa
Quality Improvement Advocacy initiatives with local governments
ACA’s Seal program extension to African Cashew Farmers
Online Assured Quality Market-Place establishment
Transparent and accessible market information (prices, trends and news)
Source: ACA Sectorial Assessment and Industry Report, 2015

14. 18-20 Feb 2016, Al Bustan Rotana, Dubai
THANK YOU!
Contact Us:
African Cashew Alliance Secretariat Sunil Dahiya
Jubilee House, 4th Street, Kuku Hill M
PMB 35A – Osu F
Accra, Ghana
Find Us Online:
@AfricanCashew
facebook.com/africancashewalliance