Cashew nut-producing counties include Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Tana River and Tharaka Nithi, with expansion into emerging areas in Taita Taveta, Makueni, Embu and Meru. The cashew industry in Kenya is characterized by smallholder farmers owning an average of less than 2 acres with a total of about 2 million trees spread across the producing regions. Kilifi County is the leading producer of cashews and has the highest area under the crop. Lamu ranks highest in terms of productivity per tree averaging 45 kg/tree/year while Kilifi has the lowest productivity per tree averaging 30 Kg/tree/year.
The area under the crop was 23,058 hectares with an estimated annual production of 8,331.69 MT valued at KES 744,900 million (NOCD Yearbook of Statistics 2022). There has been an overall reduction in acreage under the crop, which has translated into reduced production volumes. This reduction is due to farmer apathy brought about by low farm gate prices. Most of the processors have closed down while the remaining ones have scaled down their operations due to insufficient quantities to support their operations.
The Directorate is currently spearheading cashew revitalization & expansion into non-traditional production areas by providing free cashew seedlings to farmers. The Authority has also established nurseries in these areas to ensure the availability of cashew nut seedlings. By expanding into non-traditional production areas, the Authority is encouraging farmers to explore new opportunities & diversify their income streams.
