<p>CASHEW nuts are grown a lot in Nigeria. They are one of the most wholesome foods around, they are rich in oil, carbohydrates, protein, vitamin C, linolic acid, fat soluble acids (A, D, C, and K), and contain large quantities of calcium, phosphorus and iron. Virtually every part of the harvested cashew fruit has high commercial value with guaranteed local and export market.The processed nuts when exported are used as snacks and confectionery (nutty ingredients, ice creams, chocolates, sweets, gravies, production of cashew nut flour, etc). Seventy percent of world cashew nuts production is accounted for by the Americans followed by the Middle East and Asia.</p> <p>The nuts’ shells can be processed to extract the dark, reddish brown viscous substance called the cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL). This liquid commands great commercial value and has not less than 15 uses in automotive, paints, electrical, paper and other industries, etc.The residue of the shell after the liquid extraction serves as a source of energy for boiler plants while the pressed juice can be used to produce vinegar and wine. The fruit can be used to produce juice, which is adjudged to be more nutritional than orange juice.Cashew nuts have continued to emerge as one of the important export products in the country. In March 1996, a six-man delegation of the Council of Nigerian Farmers travelled to India to promote cashew nuts export from Nigeria.</p> <p>Information has it that although Nigeria’s cashew trading and export trade is presently (2012) worth N24 billion yet there is still room for more investors in the area. Forward-looking investors can cash in on this and the fact that cashew nuts are grown in almost all the states of the Federation to establish cashew nuts processing plants to add value to them and earn scarce foreign exchange by capturing part of the world market currently dominated by India which processes eighty percent of world cashew nuts output.This plant can be established in any part of the country. Supply bulk comes from peasant holdings or wild growth (planted mainly for erosion control), as very few organised plantations exist. See my other article on “Cashew Tree Plantation Development.”In this project, we shall look at the economic exploitation through modern processing and export of processed cashew nuts to earn scarce foreign exchange.</p> <h1><strong>Overseas Market</strong></h1> <p>There are two major overseas centres for the consumption of processed cashew nuts - USA (60%) and Europe. Other emerging outlets are South East Asia, Middle East, Australia and Japan.In order to ensure that the processed cashew nuts meet international standard, the nuts must be properly graded, packed in tins weighing about 11.34 kg and gassed with carbon dioxide to prolong their shelf life before being exported. For the local market, the nuts are bottled and supplied to supermarkets and other outlets. One has also witnessed instances where they are packaged in small nylon wrappings and hawked along the roadside, bus stops and market places. These are not well processed but roasted.</p> <h1><strong>Raw Materials</strong></h1> <p>The raw materials, which are cashew kernels, come mostly from few organised plantations around, wild trees and smallholdings owned by peasants. Packing materials and accessories needed especially for export processing include tin and carbon dioxide, while bottles and nylon are needed for the local market. Cashew nuts are usually harvested in Nigeria between April and May.</p> <h1><strong>Equipment And Accessories</strong></h1> <p>The method whereby cashew kernels are roasted in open fire to have them charred before being cut open with knives to extract the nuts is outdated. Modern cashew nuts processing involves two methods, the butler process and the steam roasting process.Listed below are the equipment and accessories needed for the steam roasting process. They are: auto clave, cutter soldering equipment, roasters, blowers, carbon dioxide packaging machine, filling machines, and boiler. Accessories include: grading table, scales, oil, buckets, wheelbarrows, etc.</p> <p>The size of the equipment that can be procured depends on the financial ability of the promoter and ranges between 320 kg and 1,250 kg (or even more) of raw cashew nuts per hour. The project lends itself to cottage (micro), small and medium scale production. The choice is the promoter’s. We, however, advocate an equipment of adequate capacity, which should be in line with the prevailing level of technology in order to optimally utilise one’s available resources. Embarking on very big and sophisticated plant could be counter-productive.</p> <h1><strong>Processing Technology</strong></h1> <p>Briefly, the processes involved in cashew nut extraction, roasting and packaging include: purchase and proper storage of cashew nuts, cleaning, grading, roasting, cooling, cutting, drying, another cooling, peeling, sorting (grading), re-conditioning, turning (packaging), weighing, filling with carbon dioxide and soldering. For want of space detailed description of each stage is excluded here but further information can be obtained from this writer.</p> <h1><strong>Labour Requirement</strong></h1> <p>The labour requirement will depend on the level one goes. This is a project that is generally labour-intensive. All the calibres of labour required are available locally.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>