Here is the 1st part of this series. Agro Business in Nigeria Part I
Here is the 2nd part of this series. Agro Business in Nigeria Part II
Here is the 3rd part of this series. Agro Business in Nigeria Part III
Here is the 4th part of this series Agro Business in Nigeria Part IV
Today we shall be profiling the agricultural products and raw materials that are fairly abundant in Nigeria and which has demand outside the shores of this country and also their location locally.
Raw Cashew Nuts Exports Profile
Description
Cashew (Anacardium Occidentale L.) is a tree crop of considerable economic importance to Nigeria and other tropical countries. Apart from being a source of useful products and byproducts for feed, medicinal and industrial applications, cashew gives also a useful shade, while ornamental and alley trees are suitable for the control of soil erosion, particularly for the protection of watersheds and dams.
Harvest
Cashew nut setting begins in the middle of dry season, while harvesting takes place mainly in February of March. The entire harvest period occupies about 16 weeks. In the Eastern and Western parts of the country, where quality cashew nuts are grown, nuts are allowed to drop to the ground before they are collected. This practice ensures that only ripe nuts are collected. Nuts normally fall to the ground with their apples attached; the two are normally separated with a twisting action during collection. The remnants of the apple flash adhering to the nuts are removed with a sharp knife. After picking, the nuts are dried in the sun for 2 to 3 days, to reduce their moisture content to about 12%. Properly dried nuts are packed in jute bags and can be kept for 6 to 10 months, if stored in suitable condition.
Location
Major cashew growing areas in Nigeria are, by order of importance: Enugu, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi and Cross River states in the eastern part of the country; Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Ogun States in the Western part, as well as Kwara, Kogi, Nassarawa, Benue, Taraba, Niger in the Middle Belt and Sokoto and Kebbi states in the North West part of the country. The majority of export quality nuts come from Western and Eastern parts of the country.
Specification
According to SGS (quality inspectors), the standard for raw cashew nuts, unshelled, is specified as follows:
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Nut count: 180 – 200 per kg
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Moisture content: 8 – 10% max
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Defective nuts: 15% max
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Float Rate: 18%max
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Admixture 0.25% max
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Foreign matter 0.25% max
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KoR: 48-50 lbs/bag
Uses
The cashew nut is a popular snack, and its rich flavor means that it is often eaten on its own, lightly salted or sugared. In addition to this, cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL), a byproduct of processing cashew, is mostly composed of anacardic acids. These acids have been used effectively against toot abscesses due to their lethality to bacterial.
Export Market
The major buyers of cashew nut from Nigeria are mainly India and Singapore. Smaller percentage goes to Europe.
Cashew Nut Specification in Detail
The crop season in West Africa is from March to June. There is not a general standard for cashew nuts but some parameters can establish the quality of the cashew and the appreciation on the market.
- Out-turn/Yield: It is the quantity of cashew kernel that can be obtained after decorticating (remove the shell of a cashew nut) 80kg of raw cashew nuts. The count is in pounds per 80kg . A good out turn is from 43 – 48 lbs. An excellent out turn is from 48 – 55 lbs.
- Nut count: It is the number of raw cashew nuts pert kg
170 excellent
180 - 190 very good
190 – 200 good
- Moisture/Humidity: For export 12% and less, otherwise there are risks for the goods during the shipping
- Foreign matter : 5% max
- Float rate: This is the total number of cashew nuts that will float when poured into water. A good float rate is 18% max
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