The 20th edition of the Cashew Master Training Program (MTP) marked a significant step forward in professionalising the cashew industry across East Africa. For the first time, the training was hosted within the EAC region, with sessions held in Dar es Salaam and Mtwara, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya.
The programme successfully created a new cohort of regional experts and master trainers. Fifty-four participants from Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, South Sudan, and Rwanda were equipped with advanced knowledge and practical skills in cashew production, processing, and market development. With this cohort, the region has gained a new network of experts who are ready to transform local value addition and enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of the cashew value chain.
A Strategic Focus on East Africa’s Cashew Potential
East Africa’s growing prominence in the cashew sector made the region a natural host for the MTP, implemented by the African Cashew Alliance (ACA) and its partners. Tanzania, one of Africa’s top cashew producers, contributes around 20–25% of its agricultural export earnings through cashews but processes less than 10% of its raw nuts locally. This results in significant loss of value. Meanwhile, Kenya is revitalising a once-vibrant industry that faced decades of decline, with renewed government interest and investment as a potential export earner. The MTP addresses these gaps by training experts to improve productivity, support farmers, and expand local processing capacity.
In Tanzania, the MTP trains experts to improve farm productivity and strengthen processing capacity, positioning the country as a leader in full value-chain development, not just raw production. Kenyan participants were equipped with tools to support farmers, establish stronger cooperatives and rebuild local processing industries.
Collaboration Across Regions and Institutions
The programme spearheaded by ACA and the Market-Oriented Value Chains for Jobs and Growth in the ECOWAS region (MOVE) project, aimed at fostering valuable South–South exchange of expertise from West Africa. It is supported by the European Union (EU), the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), the EAC Secretariat, and GIZ through the BMZ-funded project Support to East African Community Integration Process (SEAMPEC II).
National institutions such as the Cashew Board of Tanzania (CBT), the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), and the Institute of Nuts of Mozambique (INCAJU) provided technical support and field expertise throughout the training.
Building Knowledge for Long-Term Impact
The MTP curriculum combined theoretical learning and hands-on practice across the entire cashew value chain, from the development of improved planting materials and Good Agricultural Practices to post-harvest handling, processing, and marketing. Cross-cutting topics such as gender inclusion, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience were also integrated.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, representatives from GIZ, ACA, and the EAC Secretariat emphasised the need for a unified regional approach that links training, research, and policy dialogue to build a competitive, climate-resilient, and inclusive cashew industry.
Launched in 2013 in Burkina Faso, the Cashew MTP has become a cornerstone for sector transformation across Africa, creating a network of over 500 certified master trainers. Its expansion to East Africa marks a new phase of collaboration between the EAC and its partners, ensuring that the region’s cashew sector continues to grow as a driver of jobs, value addition, and sustainable trade.