By Mwanamkasi Jumbe
As Tanzania prepares to open its cashew nut marketing season on November 7, stakeholders have been urged to strictly observe quality and moisture standards to ensure competitive prices in both domestic and export markets.
The Executive Director of the Warehouse Receipt Regulatory Board (WRRB), Mr. Asangye Bangu, said that farmers’ ability to fetch higher prices this season will depend largely on their commitment to maintaining product quality – especially controlling the moisture content of harvested cashew nuts.
“Farmers will only get competitive prices if they adhere to the established standards, particularly the moisture level, which remains a critical factor for buyers,” Mr. Bangu said.
He noted that the WRRB continues to face challenges with deliveries of cashew nuts containing excessive moisture, particularly from two districts in the Mtwara Region, a key cashew-growing area in southern Tanzania.
To address the issue, Bangu said the Cashew Board of Tanzania (CBT) has deployed field experts from the village level up to cooperative unions to oversee compliance with the national grading and moisture standards.
“When the standards are not met, we increase regulatory control by instructing farmers to return and dry their cashew nuts properly before they can be received into the system,” he added.
According to Bangu, WRRB currently manages over 60 warehouses across the country with a combined capacity exceeding 700,000 tonnes, all ready to receive the new harvest.
The CBT Managing Director, Mr. Francis Alfred, said that 46 companies have so far registered to participate in purchasing cashew nuts this season, with more registrations still ongoing.
He, however, clarified that the number of registered buyers does not necessarily reflect the total trading volume, as “a few larger companies often buy the bulk of the crop.”
Tanzania remains one of Africa’s top cashew producers, with the southern regions of Mtwara, Lindi, and Ruvuma accounting for the majority of production. The sector is a vital foreign exchange earner, employing millions of smallholder farmers and supporting ancillary industries such as transport, warehousing, and packaging.
Analysts say adherence to quality standards is crucial for Tanzania to maintain its competitive edge in global markets, particularly against major producers such as Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Vietnam.
The upcoming season is expected to be closely watched by traders and cooperatives following fluctuating international prices and logistics challenges that affected last year’s performance. As the new season opens, both the government and private sector players are emphasizing quality assurance, transparency, and timely payments as key factors to boost farmer confidence and strengthen Tanzania’s cashew export profile.
