<p></p><p>The situation is said to be undermining potentials of the industry to transform the local economy through creation of thousands of jobs along the value chain. <br></p> <p>This came to the fore when stakeholders from 12 African countries including Ghana attending an international Master Training Programme (MTP) on cashew in Ho, visited USIBRAS Ghana Limited, a Brazilian cashew processing company at Prampram in the Greater Accra Region. <br></p> <p>The training was organised by the African Cashew Initiative, now Competitive Cashew (ComCashew) with support from the German Government, FairMatch Support and other agencies aimed at promoting the cashew value-chain in Africa. <br></p> <p>A total of 12 local cashew processing companies are said to have folded up due to challenges in procuring enough cashew nut to feed the factories. <br></p> <p>Only USIBRAS, the biggest cashew processing company in West Africa, and Mim Cashew in the Brong Ahafo Region are still in operation but below capacity. <br></p> <p>The experts said Ghana could process all its production and sustain the industry locally should farmers sell to local processors before attending to buyers from outside the sub-region. <br></p> <p>Mr Tarciso Falcao, the Managing Director, USIBRAS Ghana Limited, said the company was operating at 25 per cent of its 35,000 metric tons a year installed capacity due to challenges in procuring enough cashew nut to be processed into semi-finished product. <br></p> <p>He said the company could employ over 1,000 people should it be operating at full capacity. <br></p> <p>Ms Ann-Christin Berger, the Communications Manager of ComCashew, Ghana, said if Ghana processed 65,000 metric tons a year out of its 70,000 metric tons production, it could create 13,000 jobs directly and about 100,000 indirect jobs. <br></p> <p>Checks indicate that the country is losing some 100 million Ghana cedis a year for not processing enough cashew locally. <br></p> <p>Global demand for cashew is growing with Africa producing 53 per cent of the world’s cashew. <br></p> <p>The crop is said to have potential for climate change mitigation and poverty alleviation and if efficiently exploited could transform local economies by 2030.<br></p><p></p>