CAC News
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Tanzania’s cashew industry is entering a new phase after harvesting a record 617,683 metric tonnes (MT) of raw cashew nuts (RCN) in the 2025/26 season, strengthening the country’s position as a major supplier to the global cashew market.
The latest harvest represents a nearly 17% increase from the 528,263 MT recorded in the previous season, although production fell short of the government’s original target of 700,000 MT.
The record crop is shifting attention from production growth to Tanzania’s ability to capture more value through domestic processing.
Tanzanian processing factories handled approximately 20,000 MT of RCN in calendar year 2025, a 67% increase from the previous year. The volume accounted for about 52% of all processed cashews in East Africa, highlighting Tanzania’s growing role as a regional processing hub.
Despite the increase, domestic processing remains small compared with the country’s overall production. The Tanzanian government has set an ambitious target of processing at least 60% of national cashew production domestically by 2030.
Industry observers say achieving that target could significantly reshape regional and global cashew trade flows.
In the short term, Tanzania’s larger harvest is expected to increase the availability of raw cashew nuts on international markets, potentially influencing sourcing strategies among major processors in Asia.
Over the longer term, however, successful investment in domestic processing could reduce the volume of Tanzanian RCN available for overseas processors while increasing competition in global kernel markets.
The development reflects a broader trend across major cashew-producing countries, where governments are increasingly seeking to move beyond raw nut exports and capture greater value through local processing, job creation, and higher-value agricultural exports.
