Cashew farmers have urged the Federal Government to drop the proposed ban on raw cashew exports, warning it could worsen poverty and undermine Nigeria’s growing non-oil revenue.
The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) described the bill before the National Assembly as “anti-people,” arguing that export restrictions without adequate local processing capacity would deprive thousands of farmers and traders of their livelihoods.
NCAN noted that cashew exports currently boost foreign exchange earnings and support rural communities. It warned that banning exports before establishing functional processing plants in major cashew-producing states could mirror past failures in the oil sector where Nigeria exports raw crude but imports refined products.
The association called for increased investment in processing facilities, access to affordable agro-processing loans, and wider stakeholder consultations before any export policy is enacted.
Farmers added that many youths rely on cashew exports to earn income and that a ban at this stage could reverse progress made in diversifying the economy away from oil. Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.