With national elections just days away, Côte d’Ivoire has unveiled one of West Africa’s largest cashew processing plants — a bold signal of the government’s push to add value to local production and strengthen its agricultural backbone.
Located in Oussou, about 144 kilometres from Abidjan, the new CFA15 billion (£26.5 million) facility was launched by Prime Minister Beugré Mambé and is expected to generate over 1,000 direct jobs. Officials say the plant will play a key role in transforming the country’s booming cashew industry — now a cornerstone of Côte d’Ivoire’s non-cocoa exports.
Cashew has become more than just a crop; it’s a national strategy. Since overtaking India in 2016 to become the world’s top producer, Côte d’Ivoire has turned cashews into a billion-dollar export engine, contributing heavily to rural livelihoods across the northern and central regions. Yet, for years, most of these nuts were exported raw to processors in Asia, allowing other nations to capture the higher profits from packaging and value addition.
That’s what the government now wants to change. Through aggressive policies, Côte d’Ivoire has increased domestic processing from just 6.2% in 2016 to 21% in 2023 — with a bold goal of hitting 50% by 2030. The plan includes tax incentives for processors, cooperative strengthening, better storage and traceability systems, and technical training to make Ivorian cashew products globally competitive.
Officials say the cashew transformation plan borrows from lessons learned in the cocoa sector — where strong farmer support, regulated pricing, and export infrastructure kept Côte d’Ivoire at the top of the global cocoa market. They believe similar reforms can turn cashew into a sustainable, high-value export that creates more local jobs.
The momentum isn’t limited to Côte d’Ivoire alone. Across West Africa, countries like Ghana and Benin are ramping up processing investments, signalling a regional shift towards value addition instead of raw exports. Analysts say this move could help buffer African economies against volatile commodity prices while deepening industrial capacity.
But the timing of the Oussou launch carries political weight too. Just days before Ivorians cast their ballots, the government’s message is clear — industrialisation and rural job creation are at the heart of its vision for the future. The challenge, however, will be ensuring that these investments truly benefit farmers and that private capital continues to flow long after the campaign season ends.
For now, as the scent of fresh cashew fills the Oussou air, Côte d’Ivoire’s bet on local transformation could mark the start of a new chapter — one where rural growth and national pride go hand in hand.
