For a long time, the global cashew trade didn’t really work well. According to camcashew Africa produces more than 57% of the world’s raw cashew nuts, yet more than 90% of those nuts used to be sent straight to Asia for processing. It wasn’t just the nuts that were overlooked.
The cashew apple (the juicy, vitamin-rich fruit surrounding the nut) rarely made it to the market because it spoils within a day. Farmers often just left it to rot every season, with billions of tons sitting in orchards across Ghana and Malawi.
As of 2026, things are shifting quickly and looking very different. Governments are no longer just passive suppliers. They’re focusing on building factories and investing heavily in processing to keep more value within their countries.
Instead of sending raw materials away only to buy back the finished product at much higher prices, they want to use everything (the nut, the shell, and even the apple).
Ghana is leading this change through its Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA). They aren’t just giving farming tips anymore; their goal is to process half of Ghana’s raw cashews locally.
To push this, TCDA set a Minimum Producer Price of GH¢12 per kilo for 2025/2026 and is considering a 5% to 10% export tax on raw nuts.
This sends a clear message to investors: build your processing plants here. As a result, local processors have started finding ways to use the cashew apple instead of wasting it.
Malawi is taking a slightly different approach with health and exports in mind. Under their National Export Strategy II, they’re shifting focus from tobacco to cashew, especially making use of the apple.
Rather than buying costly supplements to treat anemia, Malawian companies are stabilizing the Vitamin C in cashew apples to create fortified food products that fit local needs. This helps address health issues and reduces waste from the crop.
The cashew shell, which used to be a difficult and harmful waste problem, is now being turned into fuel briquettes. In areas where people have traditionally relied on timber for fuel, switching to cashew briquettes makes sense because they burn longer and more evenly, helping to protect local forests.
Now, it’s not just about saving the fruit, it’s about countries improving how they use what they already have. By combining thoughtful policies, targeted technology, and a smarter approach to waste, Ghana and Malawi are showing how much more is possible.
They’re setting a new standard for the global cashew industry by fully utilizing their resources instead of trying to get more.
