<p>The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji. Muhammad Sabo Nanono has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) West Africa PRO-Cashew Project to develop the Cashew Agro Industry, stating that the initiative will improve productivity, expand the National Hectareage of the crop and most importantly achieve National food and nutrition security, revenue generation, exchange earnings, wealth creation and employment in the country.</p> <p>The minister said the project is capable to catalyze up to $10 million investment opportunities, create job, strength public and private partnership, improve trade and cashew farmers’ productivity in the value chain.</p> <p> </p> <p>Nanono while signing the Memorandum of Understanding and Interactive Session with United said the project is capable to catalyze up to $10 million investment opportunities, create job, strength public and private partnership, improve trade and cashew farmers’ productivity in the value chain.</p> <p>Department of Agriculture (USDA) West Africa PRO-Cashew Project in the Ministry’s Conference Hall over the weekend in Abuja said government’s focus is to continuously and sustainably develop the commodity for export because since the 1990s, cashew has increased the Nigerian GDP ranking as the 2nd Non-oil export foreign exchange earner for the country and generated about $500Million for the country in 2018, providing livelihood for about 300,000 to 500,000 families mostly youths and women in Nigeria”.</p> <p>The Minister pointed out that “currently the National production capacity of Cashew in 2020 was 260,000MT on 100,000ha of land. Average yield was 600kg/ha as against the global average of 1.230kg/ha”. </p> <p> </p> <p>In order to kick start the collaboration with USDA West Africa PRO-Cashew project, the Minister constituted the Cashew Value Chain Working Committee to look into the problems and challenges affecting the growth of the Value Chain in the country. </p> <p>In his presentation, the Chief of Party/ Managing Director of the USDA West Africa PRO-Cashew Project, Mr. Jeans Francois Guay, informed that the project is a five years West Africa Cashew project (PRO-Cashew), Implemented by cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), an international development organization headquartered in Washington, DC. </p>