Kenya: Coast Governors Hinge Hope on Cashew Nut Revival

Coast governors are banking on revival of the cashew nut industry to improve the livelihoods of 350,000 farmer households in Kilifi, Kwale, Tana River, Lamu, Taita-Taveta and Mombasa counties. The county bosses assured the residents that they will transform the coastal economy by increasing the crop's production to more than 300,000 metric tonnes worth Sh40 billion annually by 2030. "We will increase cashew-nut production by empowering smallholder farmers in the region. The move is aimed at reducing poverty and improving the livelihoods of 350,000 households in the region. It will further transform the rural economy in the region," said the governors. The initiative involves equipping smallholder farmers with the knowledge and skills required to transition from subsistence farming to semi-commercialisation. Through the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani (JKP), the governors led by Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Amason Kingi (Kilifi), Dhadho Godhana (Tana River) and Granton Samboja (Taita Taveta) ...