BY NDUMBE BELL JOSEPH GASTON IN DOUALA
The 5th Ordinary meeting of the International Cashew Consultations Council (CICC in French) held in Abidjan on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 and brought together experts with the goal to review the resolutions taken since Yaounde in 2021 during the 4th edition, to validate their 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, set the annual budget and operationalise the three technical commissions created by the 11-member states.
The importance of cashew is still on the rise, so the council also used this meeting as a prelude to the 4th edition of the International Exhibition of cashew-processing Equipment and Technologies (SIETTA) that held from April 6 to 8, 2023.
The C.I.C.C. on-going President who happens to be the Cameroonian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbairobe appreciated the hosting done by Cote d’Ivoire and SIETTA but asked members to look into the imbalance where member states that represent 80% of world cashew production with Cote d’Ivoire being the World’s leading producer, only benefit from 20% of the world’s cashew value chain.
Other key speakers, one of them the Executive Secretary of the CICC Andre Tandjiekpon reminded member states that they have instead declined from the targets that were set during or since their inception in 2016. That calls for over hauling. He called on each member state to have the cashew committee at the national level.
Another speaker the President of the African cashew Alliance Tola Faseru asked for a new mandate assigned the institution that will allow a transformation of the by-products to become a resilient industry, the strengthening of the value chain and enabling the guaranteeing of the market.
For his part, the Director General of the Cotton and Cashew Council of Cote d’Ivoire Adama Coulibaly and representative of the Agriculture Minister, was delighted at the mobilisation efforts demonstrated to have the meetings. He called on the cashew-nut states to create more added value.Cote d’Ivoire production represents 20%, processing estimated at 40 percent and distribution 40 percent.
As for the Technical and Financial Partners Rita Weidinger welcomed the progress, contributed office equipment at the CICC headquarters in Abidjan and asked states to count on T.F.P. support.CICC member States include Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea Conakry, Senegal and Guinea Bissau.