Africa economy
In Benin, the cashew nut sector is changing
Audio 02:20
Macaroons made from cashew nuts from the Beninese brand Macajou created by Nelly Chabi.
© Olivier Rogez / RFI
By: Olivier Rogez Follow
3 mins
Benin will ban the export of raw cashew nuts from April 2024. The country has become in a few years a major producer of this highly prized nut in Asia and the West;
it is also the second export product of the country after cotton.
Benin intends to become a major processor in order to take better advantage of the sector.
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From our special correspondent in Cotonou,
Nelly Chabi loves two things in life, baking and cashews.
This Beninese who spent part of her career in France returned to the country in 2015 to develop her product, a macaron made from cashew nuts, called Macajou.
“
When you make pastry, you know that the macaroon is made from almonds.
Any almond can be replaced by a walnut, hazelnut or cashew nut, and I find that the cashew nut represents Benin,
explains the young woman
.
In fact, the Macajou is made up of two shells, two biscuits, and a garnish inside, it's what gives the taste.
The shell is neutral, it is a base of egg whites, icing sugar and nuts.
»
Nelly Chabi, creator of the Beninese brand Macajou, macaroons made from cashew nuts.
© RFI/Olivier Rogez
Produced in its Calavi workshops, Nelly Chabi's Macajou is an illustration of the desire of Beninese to promote their agricultural products.
A desire shared by Laurent Gangbes, the general manager of Apiex, the Agency for the promotion of investments.
He was tasked by President Talon with setting up a very large-scale cashew nut processing policy.
"
Today, we produce about 180,000 tons of cashew nuts per year, out of these 180,000 tons, only 30,000 are processed in Benin
," says the Apiex manager.
Our ambition is to reach 350,000
tons of production, and to bring in industries for the complete processing of cashew nuts.
»
► To read also: Cashew nuts: fall in the price of white almonds
April 2024: stop exporting raw cashew
The State has set the procedure, from April 1, 2024, no more raw nuts will be able to leave the country.
This voluntarism is accompanied by a policy of support for processing manufacturers.
"
Industrialists tell us one thing: 'we want to come, but guarantee that we will have access to the material',
specifies
Laurent Gangbes.
And so, the work we are doing with our partner Arise is to set up the guarantee mechanism.
And by the time the measure is applied, adds the Apiex manager, we will be able to have enough cashew nuts in stock to guarantee the supply of investors.
»
Storage buildings and processing units are being completed in the new Glo Djigbé industrial zone, built by the Arise group
The vast cashew nut warehouses built in the industrial zone of Glo Djigbé, in the suburbs of Cotonou, with a view to establishing a processing industry.
© Olivier Rogez / RFI
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Benign
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