June 14, 2019
Mali, in ten years, went from 15,000 tons to 140,000 tons. Cashew is the tropical product par excellence. The product ranks in the top 5 of the ranking . Its culture and transformation represent opportunities for openness to sustainable development in Mali.
Images by Bamada
However, when is it of valorization at the local level?
As a driver of rural development in Mali, the economic and social impact of its exploitation and transformation is enormous but remains marginal compared to other countries in the sub-region. It is therefore important to transform the product locally to develop added value. In terms of Malian exports, the main destinations are Côte d'Ivoire, China, India, Vietnam and Ghana.
Mali is ranked as the fifth largest producer-exporter in the world after India, Côte d'Ivoire, Vietnam, China and Guinea Bissau. Our country could exceed this rank in view of the vast areas of cultivable land for cashew provided there is a clear political will that appropriate measures are taken to promote the value chain. Today, the cashew nut could contribute to the development of the country's economic growth through the accompaniment of value chains, and production could reach up to 200,000 tons of raw cashew nuts. This is plausible given that Côte d'Ivoire, which is the largest producer of cashew nuts in Africa, started in 2000 with 63,000 tons.Before achieving in 2014 550,000 tons.
Mali, with 95% of production exported, only 5% is destined for local processing, a transformation of crumb demonstrates enough that the product needs a strong and voluntaristic support. Already, its production has a huge economic impact. A real way of boosting income for the benefit of rural populations, its local transformation must be encouraged, better valued to avoid the curse of raw materials. Its culture needs a more qualitative and quantitative model of agriculture in order to avoid the crisis that still shakes it. Given the quality of cashew nuts in Mali compared to those of other producing countries, marketing efforts must be made for it, as Burkina Faso and Guinea Bissau have done, just like the success of juices. If the desire of Western consumers is to give meaning to their diet then it is the responsibility of producers and high authorities in this area to give meaning to the cashew sector that has just been approved by the Higher Council of Agriculture . True contributor to the fight against poverty, sustainable development, by its plantation, the cashew stops the advance of the desert, contributes to the reduction of emigration. This, by the exploitation of its chain of values.
The CTARS project (Marketing and Processing of Cashew in the Sikasso Region), fruit of the collaboration between Mali and Spain. The intervention areas of the project are the Bougouni, Kolondiéba and Yanfolila circles. Its overall objectives are: the creation of local wealth; creating value-added through local transformation; integrating vulnerable populations into the global economy; contribution to food sovereignty through the strengthening of local markets; improving rural nutrition through dietary diversification through nutritious foods and local production; - The promotion of equality and the autonomy of women; the promotion of culture as an element of exchange and development in rural areas. The project's mission is to contribute to the removal of critical constraints to the development of the sector so that the walnut enjoys a comparative advantage and confirmed market opportunities. Given the importance of the sector in the household economy and especially its contribution to food security
Mahamadou YATTARA (Infosept)
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