On Friday May 11, ACA Managing Director Christian Dahm, USAID West Africa Acting Director Lisa Franchett, and the President of BOAD (Banque Ouest Africaine de Developpement, or the West African Development Bank) Christian Adovelande signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Lome, Togo to improve access to finance for investments in cashew processing. The agreement will make available CFA 7 billion (US$14 million) in investment financing to cashew processors supported by the ACA in CFA zone countries. These funds will enable an increase of processing capacities, including the acquisition of...
ACA News
Online registration is now open for The Future is Now! The 7th ACA Annual Conference will be held in Cotonou, Benin from 17-20, September 2012. Register before June 15 to receive discounted early bird rates!
The ACA Conference has become the world's largest annual cashew event. This year, over 400 international cashew industry stakeholders are expected to join ACA in Benin. A four day program of a plenary session, World Cashew Forum, Business2Business meetings, and field trips will...
An ordinary working day of the Beninese farmer starts with an early morning walk of about two hours before reaching the four hectare cashew farm he has owned for more than 20 years. It is harvesting season at the moment, which means his daily activities consist of collecting the ripe cashew apples, separating the nut from the apple and drying the raw cashew nuts (RCN) to ensure good quality. During the harvesting season the farmer mainly consumes the harvested cashew apples instead of bringing meals to the farm. This saves him money and food resources.
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After more than a year of development, the ACA Quality and Sustainability Seal is being implemented in the first cashew processing factory in Africa. Tolaro Global, a new facility located in Parakou, Benin, signed a contract with ACA to participate in the Seal program in mid-December in what was a historic moment for ACA.
After a preliminary inspection and training in the food safety, quality, and labor procedures required for ACA Seal approval, the company spent a few months instituting systems to ensure compliance with the Seal standards. When the ACA Seal team visited for a...
A breakthrough in access to finance was announced on March 1st by the ACA, the USAID West Africa Trade Hub, and African Investors Management Services Ltd (AIMS). A Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM) and Ecobank will facilitate access to US$2 million in financing for three Nigerian processing firms, which could lead to dramatic increases in processing capacity and create hundreds of jobs in the Nigerian cashew sector.
The three processors (ACET, Abod Success, and KD Foods) are members of the Nigerian Cashew Cluster Finance Scheme (NCCFS), a group...
ACA gained a high-profile new supporter when President of Côte d’Ivoire H.E. Alassane Ouattara spoke with ACA representatives at the opening of the new Olam processing plant in Bouake, Côte d’Ivoire on 23 February. H.E. Ouattara had chaired the official inauguration ceremony of the factory and unveiled the commemorative plaque of the event in front of about 400 guests. The Minister of Industry Dosso Moussa and the Minister of Justice Jeannot Ahoussou Kouadio also attended with other high level personalities from public and private sector. The officials, including H.E. Ouattara, then...
At the end of February, the ACA Executive Committee and ACA Advisory Board met at the ACA Secretariat offices in Accra for their annual meeting. The Executive Committee is ACA’s governing body, elected by ACA members, that provides direction, guidance, and oversight to the Secretariat, while the Advisory Board consists of donors contributing at least US$50,000 to ACA’s annual budget. Together, they discussed and approved strategic plans and budgets for 2012.
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30,000MT Facility Inaugurated in Côte d’Ivoire
A new page has been turned in the short history of West African cashew processing. On 23 February, ACA founding member Olam International Limited inaugurated a fully mechanized plant in Bouake, Côte d’Ivoire with a processing capacity of 30,000 MT, making it the largest cashew processing facility in Africa, and one of the largest globally. With this factory Olam multiplies by six the processing capacity of Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s second largest cashew producing country.
Th...
A breakthrough in access to finance was announced on March 1st by the African Cashew Alliance (ACA), the USAID West Africa Trade Hub, and African Investors Management Services Ltd (AIMS). A Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM) and Ecobank will facilitate access to US$2 million in financing for three Nigerian processing firms, which will lead to dramatic increases in processing capacity and create hundreds of jobs in the Nigerian cashew sector.
The three processors (ACET, Abod Success, and KD Foods) are members of the Nigerian Cashew Cluster...
Officials including President of Côte d’Ivoire Alassane Ouattara tour the new Olam cashew processing facility (photo copyright Olam)
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