<p></p><p>Cote d'Ivoire authorities have managed to halt fraudulent export of 15,000 tons of cashew nuts to neighbouring Ghana, just two months after the start of the 2016 harvesting season, security sources said Monday.The last seizure of 10,000 tons of cashew nuts that was carried out on March 4 by the Cote d’Ivoire army in the country’s northeast regions of Bondokou and Transua bordering Ghana, brought the total seizure since early February to about 15,000 tons, the sources added. <br></p> <p><b>cashew nuts</b></p> <p>Bondoukou region is not only the biggest producer of cashew nuts in Cote d’Ivoire, but also the region with highest incidents of illegal export of the product towards Ghana, especially due to the porous borders.For the last four years, the government decided to wage a war against illegal export of cashew nuts, which hit a record 100,000 tons in 2012, representing a quarter of the 450,000 tons produced that year nationally.According to a specialist in the industry, the illegal export is caused by higher buying price in Ghana as compared to that in Cote d’Ivoire.“A farmer who exports his produce through the Abidjan port spends at least 600,000 CFA Francs (1,000 U.S. dollars) on transport against 150,000 CFA Francs for the farmer who exports to Ghana, where a kilogram of cashew nuts sells between 400 and 500 CFA Francs against 250 to 350 CFA Francs in Abidjan,” he explained.Due to the persistence of the problem, Cote d’Ivoire government has initiated industry reforms to ensure farmers get higher prices for their produce.Cote d’Ivoire’s production increased from 565,000 tons in 2014 to 702,000 tons in 2015, making the country the biggest cashew nuts producer in the world, ahead of India with 650,000 tons and Vietnam with 325,000 tons. End item<br></p><p></p>