Africa’s total cashew nut (in shell) production increased from 172,050 tonnes in 1961 to over 2.25 million tonnes in 2023, a growth of approximately 1,209%.
Western Africa has been the primary driver of this growth since the 1990s and now produces the largest share of cashew nuts in Africa.
Western Africa accounted for 84% of Africa’s total cashew nut production by 2023.
Middle Africa has maintained a minimal but consistent level of production.
Eastern Africa led production from the 1960s through the 1980s before being overtaken by Western Africa.
The most significant growth in Africa’s cashew production began in the 1990s.
Despite overall growth, cashew production in Africa has experienced periodic fluctuations.
Mostly due to their climate conditions, Southern and Northern Africa regions are less favourable for cashew production than other African regions.
Nigeria held the top spot in global cashew production from 2001 to 2010. This highlights a period of strong agricultural output, though the country has since been overtaken by India and Côte d'Ivoire. In recent years, Côte d'Ivoire has emerged as the world’s leading cashew producer, holding the top spot for three consecutive years as of 2022. This shift highlights the country's growing role in global cashew production. India and Mozambique once dominated global production, with India leading for 35 of the past 62 years.
Once the world’s leading cashew producer, Nigeria saw production fall below 100k tonnes in 2022 after hitting a high of 800,000 tonnes in 2009. Despite this decline, experts believe the sector could generate $2.4 billion in foreign exchange annually if production is increased.
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