European Union to fund cashew nut farming

Czech Ambassador Pavel Rezac prepares to plant a cashew nut seedling during an EU delegation visit to the Ten Senses nursery in Kilifi. Looking on is Ten Senses GM Frank Omondi. (James Wanzala,Standard)

An initiative targeted at smallholder cashew nut farmers in Kwale, Kilifi and Lamu Counties has been launched.

The project is supported by the European Union through member countries Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary in conjunction with Ten Senses Africa Ltd and Farm Africa.

Funded by the European Trust Fund, it will see smallholder farmers roped into the cashew value chain, significantly raising their incomes from the crop.

The project aims at raising and distributing over one million improved cashew and sesame seedlings and seeds over a four-year period and targets over 15,000 farmers in the region.

In addition, farmers will be certified as producers of organic and fair-trade cashew and sesame. A cashew factory with a capacity of 2,400 tonnes a year is also in he plans