Source: ecofinagency.com The export of raw cashew kernels (borma) from West Africa to Vietnam is increasing rapidly, posing a challenge to the region's goal of developing its value chain and deep processing industry. According to industry expert Jim Fitzpatrick, this trend results in most of the value addition being transferred outside the region, as finishing processes such as shelling, sorting, and packaging are carried out in other countries. Initially, the production of borma was seen as a suitable solution for small processing facilities that focused on the simplest stages. However, this activity has now expanded significantly. In Côte d'Ivoire, by 2025, the country processes around 550,000 tons of raw cashews, obtaining approximately 120,000 tons of kernels, but only exports about 39,000 tons to the EU and the US, with the majority of the remainder being exported to Vietnam in raw form. The core reason is liquidity constraints. While Asian businesses have short procurement ...